ANAKTUVUK PASS 67 



the moimtains, and tliey recalled it as of regular occurrence near the 

 arctic coast. Sidney B. Peyton informed me that in June 1954 he 

 collected a set of eggs from the common nesting place of this sand- 

 piper. I believe that solitary sandpipers are rather rare migrants 

 through Anaktuvuk and not stray birds. 



Heteroscelus incaniim (Gmelin) 



12 males 



May 23-July 9 



weight (13), 87-114, 

 average 101 g. 



12 females 



May 20-July 9 



weight (16), 98-130, 

 average 116 g. 



1 young female 



July 31, 1950 



weight 94 g. 



2 young downy 



July 9, 1951 



weight 43, 44 g. 



males 







1 young downy 



July 9, 1951 



weight 45 g. 



female 







First records of wandering tattlers are May 25, 1949, May 19, 1950, 

 May 26, 1951, May 29, 1952, May 22, 1953, and May 18, 1954. At this 

 season they became common among the boulders on the gravel bars 

 of the rivers and on the gravel fans where the swiftly running streams 

 come down from the mountains. They are then familiar and friendly. 

 Their calls, the Nunamiut describe in their name, Silyirisoktok, "it 

 sounds like sharpening with a stone." Captured tattlers emitted this 

 call in their cages, or, since they soon became adjusted to human 

 company, as they ran about among the people in the tents and picked 

 bits of food from the floor or from dishes. In their ready psychological 

 adjustment to captivity tattlers are like lesser yellowlegs. 



Soon after arrival the tattlers become very inconspicuous. Some 

 doubtless fly north, but an occasional one or pair may be found among 

 the small boulders of the rocky fans, often closely covered by willows, 

 where the small streams rush down to the valley from the mountain 

 sides. After the event, I was informed that my son Laurence and I 

 ate tattler's eggs along with those of golden plover, on June 2, 1948, 

 when many of the birds had abandoned their nests after a snow fall 

 in early June. The tattler's nest had been found by Susie Paneak in 

 the gravel of Nakagnik stream near Tuluak Lake, and Simon Paneak 

 remarked that the nesting place was at lower elevation than usual. 



Nesting is known to the Nunamiut to occur in the boulder-strewn 

 stream beds, and I have evidence to confirm their story. A male bird 

 taken June 21, 1949, had bare incubating spots on its breast. It was 

 the smallest adult male recorded. The young female bird, taken at 

 Kangomavik Creek July 31, 1950, weighing 94 grams, was sufficiently 

 young to be a local fledgling. 



In 1951, we examined eggs in the tattlers collected. The largest 

 measured 6 mm. on May 26 ; 6 mm. on May 28 ; 2 mm. on May 28 ; 7 

 mm. on June 1. These figures do not set the exact date of nesting. 



