OLD CROW 155 



The people are strong travelers, good hunters, and lively com- 

 panions. As they learned of our interest in birds they told us their 

 observations and brought us many specimens. Without their help 

 and advice we could have obtained little information. With their aid 

 our survey shows the status of the birds in their country. Living and 

 working with the Old Crow people has been pleasant and profitable 

 for biologists. 



From former chief Joe Kay I obtained Indian names for 99 of the 

 107 species which we now identify in the avifauna of Old Crow 

 (Irving, 1958b). He wrote them for me in the orthography devised 

 by Archdeacon McDonald (1911) for an Indian version of the Book 

 of Common Prayer and Bible. Most of Joe Kay's identifications were 

 from specimens, but some were made by reference to illustrations or 

 descriptions of appearance and habits. I did not meet another Indian 

 with such command of nomenclature. Furthermore, Joe Kay in any 

 company was an exceptional man for his remarkable strength and 

 ability. At about 75 years of age his wisdom and social understanding 

 were impressive to us and respected by his own people. 



He remarked that even among the older people few could recognize 

 and name all birds. I believe that the names he gave me were true 

 designations in his language, and yet I marvel that an unwritten 

 language could persist in so small a community where only a few 

 individuals can have such intelligence and learning as is required to 

 preserve the comprehensive and accurate Indian knowledge of their 

 natural environment. It is also revealing to find among the Indians 

 and Eskimos who socially dominate their fellows by physical strength 

 and skill the possession of such intellectual attainment as is illus- 

 trated by perfect recognition and naming of birds. Here, in a small 

 community living among primitive conditions, we see how refined an 

 intelligence can be developed, for the cultivation of such knowledge 

 as deals with small birds demonstrates mental exertion for the pure 

 love of knowledge. 



Progress of the Investigation 



Leonard Peyton and I reached Old Crow on April 2, 1957. We 

 were kindly received and lodged for our first night by Constable 

 P. A. Robin. The next day we obtained from Albert Abel the use of 

 his cabin. To store our gear would require more shelves than he had. 

 When I asked if we might build some shelves, I remarked that per- 

 haps their absence from his cabin showed some special reason prevent- 

 ing their construction and observed that perhaps he would not want 

 them. He simply replied that he had not needed shelves because he 

 had nothing to put on them. 



