160 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 217 



On June 13, five common loons were recorded, and about ten times 

 as many Pacific loons identified by sight along 15 miles of river just 

 east of Old Crow. John Buckley informed me that during a canoe 

 trip from Old Crow to Fort Yukon in August 1954 he had identified 

 common loons among much more numerous Pacific loons along the 

 river. 



Although Bailey (1948) found few records of common loons along 

 the Arctic coast of Alaska, they are well known in the Arctic interior 

 and are more often seen in the central Brooks Range than yellow- 

 billed loons. 



The Indians call them Ttretetere. 



Gavia arctica pacifica (Lawrence) 



1 female June 15 



weight 1751 g. 



little fat 



egg 6mm. 



1 male June 26 



weight 1382 g. 



medium fat 



testes 10x19, 6x11 



1 slightly Incubated June 24 







nun* 



egg 









The first Arctic loon was seen circling in flight over the village on 

 May 22, at the time when the ice in the river was breaking up. There- 

 after they were frequently seen on the river and pairs occupied the 

 small portions of open water as early as they appeared in many of the 

 lakes in the valley. Here it was apparent that nesting was in prepara- 

 tion. On the lake behind the village where a pair had been observed a 

 nest was found abandoned because the birds had been shot or driven 

 away. 



On June 24 Irwin Linklater found a nest on a moss platform at 

 the tip of a point of land extending into a small lake. It contained 

 one slightly incubated egg which would have been laid about June 15. 



As Robert Bruce and I were pursuing an Arctic loon on a small lake, 

 it emerged from a dive and, seeing the canoe nearby, dove suddenly 

 with a loud scream. So swift was its dive when fired at that it actually 

 seemed to have submerged before the shot splashed harmlessly about 

 the place of its disappearance. On June 15, this loon was about ready 

 to lay. 



In the latter part of May the majority of Pacific loons as single 

 birds or pairs appeared from the west and passed eastward, seemingly 

 migrating up the river and presumably coming from a population 

 wintering along western coasts. 



During June many Pacific loons were seen along the river, where 

 they were occasionally calling, often associated in pairs. When 

 alarmed they quickly took wing but sometimes flew only short dis- 

 tances as if attached to the area. It was not apparent whether they 

 nested along the river, but they occupied many lakes. 



The Indians name the Arctic loon Thulvit. 



