124 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 217 



only two were reported fat, three were designated medium fat and 

 five had little fat. These figures indicate less fat in the males in 

 breeding condition and during the time of mating, but they were 

 nevertheless in good nutritional state. 



The progress of egg development may also be observed from records 

 in 1951. In 13 females examined between May 10 and 21, the eggs 

 were recorded as 1 mm. in length. Eggs were recorded as 2 mm. on 

 May 21 and 28, 10 mm. May 28, with only small eggs found on June 

 8 and 9. 



On May 10 and 15, seven females were recorded to be fat,: Of nine 

 females examined in the remainder of May, two were recorded to be 

 fat, three were considered medium fat and four had little fat. These 

 figures indicate that females, like males, are fat until about the time 

 of active mating and nest preparation and that thereafter they are 

 not commonly so well supplied with fat, although their state of nutri- 

 tion is generally very good. 



Two nests found on June 6, 1949, and one on June 6, 1953, con- 

 tained two eggs each. On June 7, 1949, another nest contained four 

 eggs and on June 8, one set of two eggs had increased to four, the 

 other nest having been destroyed. On Jmie 12, several nests were 

 found with four eggs too far incubated to be saved, and because of 

 this condition and destruction no specimens were preserved. 



The first nest recorded in 1951 contained four eggs on June 4 and 

 10 days later it contained two nestlings and one egg. On this same 

 date, Jmie 14, another nest contained four newly hatched birds. 



The young were first seen flying inexpertly June 29, 1961, and the 

 young were all flying over the grassy tundra in early July. In the 

 series of nine young males taken between July 5 and August 11, 1950, 

 of eight weighing from 22.3 to 24.7 grams, none had reached adult 

 weight or length except one which on July 2, weighed 28.5 grams while 

 still in Juvenal plumage. Its testes measured 1.5 x 1 mm., large for a 

 young bird, and their condition may indicate the reason for enlarge- 

 ment of the bird. It was omitted from the series of weights as an 

 abnormal bird. 



These longspurs are the most numerous birds of the wet grassy 

 tundra and in open grassy places among the willows. Commonly, 

 they remain near water, but they sometimes venture far up onto dry 

 areas and onto the talus slopes on the Valley sides. Around the tents 

 of Nunamiut, they are common visitors and in late summer the young 

 birds venture familiarly close among people and dogs 



In the sununer of 1951, 1 saw so many more males than females that 

 I tried to estimate whether this apparent predominance of males 

 observed represented the state of affairs in the population. About 

 mid-May, John Krog remarked that he saw about ten times as many 



