256 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 217 



indicate that the migratory species reach Kobuk a few days before 

 their arrival at Anaktuvuk. Several of these species also appear to 

 reach Old Crow earlier than Kobuk in conformity with their suspected 



Birds of Old Crow 



Longer observation at Old Crow might add to the small number 

 of visitors now recorded there, but it seems that the nesting birds are 

 established firmly in their migration to the Porcupine Valley, which 

 is also the northern limit for migration of more species than either 

 Kobuk or Anaktuvuk. Also the smallest number of species migrate 

 through Old Crow without leaving any nesting pairs. Summer at 

 Old Crow is less warm and is shorter than at Kobuk, but is sufficient 

 for the growth of spruce to fair size. Warblers, thrushes, and spar- 

 rows form dense populations in some of the brushy areas along the 

 Porcupine Kiver, showing little attenuation in density of population 

 at the northern limit of their ranges. Surface-feeding ducks are not 

 especially numerous but for old squaws and scoters it is an important 

 nesting ground. The marked discrepancy at Old Crow appears in the 

 small number of species and individuals of sandpipers and plovers, 

 both nesting and migrating. Except for a few species using the in- 

 land marshes the Porcupine Valley is an insignificant nesting area and 

 unimportant as a migratory route for members of these groups. 



Birds of the Arctic Coast 



For records from the Yukon arctic coast I have selected from Rand 

 (1946) the reports from Herschel Island westward to the Yukon- 

 Alaska boundary. From Anderson's (1921) journal account and from 

 Brooks (1915) and Dixon (1943) I have taken records pertaining 

 to the arctic coast of Alaska between the mouth of the Colville River 

 and Demarcation Point. 



Bailey's (1948) extensive report on the birds of arctic Alaska 

 covers a coast line and certain interior localities very diverse as habi- 

 tats of birds. I have chosen Barrow as the best studied locality. 

 From Bailey's explicit references to the locations where observations 

 were made I have been able to select a list of the birds found within 

 about 40 miles distance from the village of Barrow. Even with that 

 restriction, the list of birds found at Barrow presents a strange 

 assortment difficult to resolve into a pattern related to our knowledge 

 of the geographical distribution of birds. 



Bishop (1944) described the situation at Barrow well by saying 

 that "of about 140 forms recorded from the northern coast of Alaska 

 about 48 have been taken not over four times and 34 only twice. This 

 would indicate that most of them were lost birds, wandering until 



