ANAKTUVUK PASS 123 



female bird contained an egg 17 mm. in length on May 29, 1952, and 

 their nesting must be among the earliest of the sparrows. 

 A nest was reported on Contact Creek June 7, 1951. Through June, 



1 saw and heard many fox sparrows singing in the willows along Con- 

 tact Creek, where I suspected that they were already nesting. 



There is no indication of extensive migration, but some must pass 

 northward, for the Nunamiut know that fox sparrows are common 

 in the willows along the Colville River. 



Calcarius lapponicus alascensis Ridgway 



30 males May 10-July 20 weight (27), 24.6- 



33.1, average 28.6 



g. 

 18 females May 10-July 24 weight (22), 22.3- 



30.6, average 25.4 

 g. 



9 young males July 5- Aug. 11 weight (8), 22.3- 



24.7, average 23.6 

 g- 



2 young females July 20, 24 weight (2), 24.4- 



27.4 g. 



The earliest recorded arrivals of Alaska longspurs at Tuluak Lake 

 are May 15, 1948, May 1, 1949, April 29, 1951, May 9, 1952, May 4, 1953, 

 and May 13, 1954. About the first of May is the usual date of their 

 arrival. During the first two weeks of May a few were seen each day, 

 but during the third week in May, flocks increased until May 19, 1949, 

 when a thousand were reported by Thomas Brower. The popula- 

 tion remained at migrant size for about a week further and suddenly 

 declined to resident numbers and behavior before the end of the 

 months Their Nunamiut name is Potohioluk. 



Early in May and in some years to the end of that month, winter 

 snow persists in Anaktuvuk Valley. Then the longspurs may be seen 

 in great numbers on the higher levels of the Valley and particularly 

 where hummocks of sedge protrude above the snow. In the latter part 

 of the month, the males frequently sing in downward hovering flights 

 which terminate in swift, soaring glides to earth. In this time mating 

 competition goes on, before nesting areas are exposed, among flocks 

 which are generally moving northward on the ground and in short 

 flights. I suspect that some mating occurs before the final nesting 

 grounds are reached. 



On May 10 and 11, 1951, five males examined were recorded to have 

 small testes. On May 14 and 15, the records show that the testes of 

 four were getting larger and in four, the testes had reached breeding 

 size. In 11 birds examined during the rest of May, the testes were in 

 all cases of breeding size. 



All males (15) which were examined between May 10 and 16 were 

 fat. On May 21 and later in that month among 10 males examined 



