48 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 217 



June 1, 1952, over Inukpasugaruk Creek. The Nunamiut name was 

 not recalled by the people, but they described the bald eagle accurately 

 and recognized it. Since these eagles are regular and common resi- 

 dents along the rivers in the wooded country to the south, their occa- 

 sional visits are not unexpected. 



Circus cyaneus hudsonius (Linnaeus) 



1 unsexed but in Aug. 28, 1950 weight 478 g. 



female plumage 



I saw an American marsh hawk flying as if hunting over the tundra 

 August 29, 1948. One was reported on May 30, 1951, May 20, 1952, 

 and May 19, 1953. Simon Paneak saw one several times in early June 

 1951, around Tuluak Lake. Susie Paneak and May Kakena saw one 

 "with reddish-brown breast" on June 11, 1952. The Nunamiut know 

 them as Papiktook, which means "long parka tail," and Simon Paneak 

 had described them to me accurately before the specimen was taken 

 by Jesse Ahgook. No nests have been found and the occasional 

 individuals seen appeared to have been on a hunting or exploring 

 trip and not resident in the mountains. On August 9 and 14, 1951, 

 I saw two marsh hawks while traveling up the Alatna River, the 

 first about 10 miles and the second about 90 miles north by river from 

 the Koyukuk and within 60 miles of Anaktuvuk. As their common 

 range extends through the Yukon Valley, occasional visits to the 

 tundra can be expected. 



Family PANDIONIDAE: Ospreys 

 Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (Gmelin) 



Several of the Nunamiut saw an osprey's nest before 1947 in a tree 

 near Island River in the forested midpart of the John River, but I 

 have not seen one along the upper Koyukuk and Alatna Rivers. On 

 May 28, 1954, May Kakena saw one at the outlet from Tuluak Lake. 

 Charles Sheldon pointed out to me a pair of ospreys over a nest in 

 a high tree which had been occupied for many years on the Kobuk 

 River about 10 miles above the village. On June 1, 1952, I saw an 

 osprey flying over Contact Creek. The osprey is known to the Nuna- 

 miut from their occasional journeys to the forest country as Kalloh- 

 sioyuh^ meaning "goes after fish." They are occasionally seen flying, 

 but not fishing in the mountains. It is not surprising that occasional 

 visitors should venture to the Valley since it is only an hour's flight 

 from their known nesting range in the wooded valleys. It is inter- 

 esting that the Nunamiut remarked that the visiting ospreys had not 

 been seen fishing in the tundra lakes. 



