ANAKTUVUK PASS 43 



Western harlequin ducks were first reported June 2, 1949, May 31, 

 1950, and May 29, 1952. After that time they are occasionally seen, 

 usually along the swift streams. In 1951, however, we did not record 

 a single harlequin, although they are well known and conspicuous in 

 habit and profile. Often they are called "current ducks" by the Nuna- 

 miut from their frequenting fast water, but the regular Nunamiut 

 name is AJialiknah^ "like old squaw," which well indicates their adept 

 diving. Sheldon (1911) reports that harlequin ducks occupied most 

 of the swift streams along which he passed to the sheep country high 

 in the mountains of western Yukon Territory. In August 1951, Wil- 

 liam Williams of Alatna Village showed me a pair of harlequin ducks 

 which his wife had moimted very nicely. These were shot in 1950 on 

 the Koyukuk from a group of about six, and he considered them to 

 be of common occurrence in that region. During three weeks on the 

 Koyukuk and Alatna Rivers in August 1951, however, we saw none, 

 and Williams had no positive observations in that year. 



They usually remain evident during summer, and several families 

 of young have been seen by the Nunamiut, although nests have not 

 been discovered. Resident harlequins may be nearly as numerous as 

 baldpates but they are fewer than green- winged teal. The Nunamiut 

 knew them along the Colville River, and I do not hesitate to say that 

 some seen in spring at Anaktuvuk are migrating farther north. 



Polysticta stelleri (Pallas) 



Steller's eider was well known to the Nunamiut, when they were 

 on the arctic coast, as Eknikauktok. Simon Paneak reported to me 

 his great surprise at seeing a male and a female in late June standing 

 on the gravel along Contact Creek. He watched them in amazement 

 through his telescope to verify their marks but they flew before he 

 could approach within range of shot. Although we are confident of 

 the identification we agreed that the observation of an eider duck in 

 the mountains was too anomalous for its inclusion in the list of Anak- 

 tuvuk birds. It was Simon's suggestion that these eiders may have 

 ascended the Colville looking for another ocean. 



Melanitta deglandi (Bonaparte) 



3 males 



June 11-14, 1949 



weight (6), 1413- 

 1907, average 1650 

 g. 



weight (2), 1548, 



2 females 



June 17, Aug. 6 







1700 g. 



2 downy young 



August 6, 1950 







females with 







female adult. 







The first white-winged scoters were recorded May 31, 1950, May 24, 

 1951, May 20, 1953 and May 28, 1954. No large flocks are reported, 



