112 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEXIM BULLETIN 217 



curate, but later we could not find the nest or birds. Jesse and Simon 

 Paneak agreed that since this was the only report of one north of 

 timber in summer that they could recall, it did not establish normality 

 of summer occurrence. 



Small groups of pine grosbeaks appear occasionally to move about 

 in winter over the open tundra north of the spruce forests as they 

 do in the wooded regions. In winter the northern willows blown 

 bare of snow may afford easier feeding than the snow covered 

 branches of the windless forests. The grosbeaks' feathers are the fluf- 

 fiest of any of the Fringillidae, and they and the redpolls {Acanthis 

 Jwrnemanni exilipes) are the only members of that family which regu- 

 larly winter in the mountains. Their winter travel northward is a 

 frequent occurrence, and it seems correct to designate the pine gros- 

 beaks as winter visitors which at that season move from the forests 

 100 miles or so north of tree line. I also suggest their inclusion with 

 the Yukon chickadee, downy woodpecker, and Alaska jay in a prob- 

 ably more or less regular northward movement in winter from the 

 forest to the tundra. 



Leucosticte tephrocotis irvingi Feinstein 



7 males May 22- June 29 weight (8), 26.8, 29.1, 



average 27.7 g. 

 5 females June 7-29 weight (5), 25.8, 30.3, ■ 



average 28.6 g. 



Gray-crowned rosy finches were found along the west side of the 

 valley at Tuluak as it slopes near and above the talus slopes 4 to 600 

 feet above the valley floor. They are well known and their rosy colors 

 bring them the name kaviksruah among the Nunamiut. The 

 earliest reports in spring are May 19, 1950, June 2, 1951, and June 1, 

 1954. The fall records show old birds with young of the year moving 

 south on August 29, 1950, at Kangomavik, and the last were seen 

 September 2, 1950, at Contact Creek, also moving southward. 



No nests were found, but a male examined by Eobert.Eausch on 

 May 22, 1950, had testes measuring 10 mm. and was in obvious breeding 

 condition. Three male specimens taken on the mountain side between 

 June 18 and June 29 had bare brooding patches. The behavior of the 

 male and female observed by Thomas Brower on June 23, 1949, showed 

 the alert and baffling indirection of a bird near its nest. Its efforts for 

 diversion were successful, and no nest was found. John Krog observed 

 several pairs about 1,400 feet above the floor of Anaktuvuk Valley 

 several miles west of Tuluak and reported their behavior like that of 

 nesting birds on June 2, 1951. The Nunamiut believe that they nest 

 on the mountain sides and from the evidence there is no doubt that 

 nests are made and young birds are reared along the Valley's moun- 

 tain side, probably near the talus slope. 



