KOBUK 135 



Spatula clypeata (Linnaeus) 



Sheldon obtained and named the skin of a shoveler, which I have 

 seen and identified, and described it as one of an apparently settled 

 pair on May 23, 1954. It is known by the people at Kobuk that a 

 few shovelers usually nest in the vicinity, but not enough are seen 

 to show that migration proceeds further. 



Aythya marila nearctica (Stejueger) 



The Eskimos at Kobuk reported scaup to be common. Some distin- 

 guished greater and lesser scaup by Eskimo names which they said 

 specified two kinds. Sheldon's description seemed to distinguish two 

 sizes. In support of the description, he reported the weight of a male 

 scaup at 870 grams. This he named Kaklodook and said that it corre- 

 sponded to our "lesser scaup." This is just within the smaller size 

 range of A. marila and greater than three weights recorded at 

 Anaktuvuk for male A. a^nis (769, 681, 694 grams) . By reference to 

 these weights the bird was probably A. TnarUa. The Kobuk names for 

 the two scaups differ by only a suffix, '■'■'puh^'' meaning big. Although 

 lesser scaup may occur and are perhaps distinguished at Kobuk, the 

 evidence is not yet certain enough to include A. afflnis in the established 

 list of avifauna. 



Bucephala albeola (Linnaeus) 



Sheldon's appropriate description and an explicit Eskimo name 

 caused me to include the bufflehead as a regular occurrence at Kobuk, 

 although it had not been earlier reported. 



The four Alaskan species of eider ducks are well known to Kobuk 

 people from their visits to the coast, but individual eider ducks which 

 occasionally stray inland should not be listed as part of the regular 

 avifauna. 



Melanitta deglandi (Bonaparte) 



The white-winged scoter, which had been earlier reported only by 

 McLenegan (1889) , was clearly described by Sheldon and given an ex- 

 plicit Eskimo name. It is well known among Nunamiut and is also 

 known as a regularly nesting bird at Kobuk- 



Oidemia nigra (Linnaeus) 



The common scoter, previously reported at Kobuk by Townsend 

 (1887) and Grinnell (1900), was named by Sheldon. As it has not 

 been recognized at Anaktuvuk it probably does not range into the 

 arctic interior beyond the Kobuk Kiver. 



469496—60 10 



