370 THE FUR SEALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



Aleutiaus there is little direct evidence. That which is available indicates three 

 routes — one southward toward the Oaliforniau coast,' a second toward the Hawaiian 

 Islands, and a third along the Aleutian chain, thence toward the Asiatic coast and 

 islands. I am unaware of any positive movement from the Aleutian Islands eastward 

 along the coast to California southward. When over SOO miles south of Unalaska a 

 Savanna sparrow (.4.. HiDKhvichensis) boarded the vessel, staid with us all night, and I 

 saw it depart the next morning in an east of north dii'ection which would take it to its 

 summer home. Mr. Nelson records that when he approached the Aleutian Islands in 

 the spring of 1877 several turnstones were seen ten or twelve hours' steaming from 

 the islands. They were headed north. Mr. Elliott also tells us that when 700 miles 

 off" the Straits of Fuca he saw many individuals of the same species heading north- 

 west for the Aleutian Islands. In May, 1890, soon after passing the halfway point 

 between San Francisco and Unalaska we began to see i)halaropes {C.ftilicariiis) and 

 for some hundreds of miles they were common. Their course was nortiiward. Nelson 

 tells us "While the Corwin was midway between the Aleutian Islands and San Fran- 

 cisco, in October, 1881, a small party of birds, undoubtedly of this species | C. dominicus 

 /Mii??ts], was seen passing high overhead, coming from the direction of the Aleutian 

 Islands and passing directly toward the Hawaiian group." lie adds, "This is certainly 

 a remarkable tiiglit for birds of this character to undertake, and its accomplishment 

 indicates great powers of tiight as well as great endurance." 



Dr. Thomas II. Streets, in bulletin No. 7, United States National Museum, page 

 17, tells us, in speaking of the same species — the Asiatic golden plover: "In regard 

 to the habits of these birds we were informed by residents of the island [Oahu, 

 Hawaiian Islands] that they make tiieir first annual appearance about September. 

 When they arrive they arc very poor and weak, having evidently been on a lengthy 

 voyage and been deprived of food for a long time. During their stay through the 

 winter they become very fat. About March or April they begin to prepare for their 

 departure. They can be seen during the day, at this time, taking long or short flights 

 out at sea and returning again to the islands. Tliis exercise is undoubtedly for the 

 purpose of strengthening themselves for the final effort, their muscles during the win- 

 ter's life of luxury and ease having become flabby and feeble. We have met them at 

 sea a long distance from any land very much exhausted, and have known them to 

 take refuge aboard the shij), where if not molested they would remain until we 

 reached land." As this plover is unknown from the American continent in wiriter, 

 breeding only in summer in America on the Bering Sea side of Alaska, we are com- 

 pelled to the conclusion tiiat it traverses twice a year the 2,000 miles or more of ocean 

 between the Aleutian and Hawaiian islands.^ The species breeding in Alaska and 

 occurring in winter on the Fanning and Hawaiian groups are the tattler (H. incanus), 

 the turnstone (A. interpres), tha sanderling {(J.arenaria), the Asiatic golden plover (C 

 (l.fulvus), the bristle-thighed curlew {N.femorali.s) — taken several times in Alaska, the 

 pintail [D. acuta), the shoveler {S. clypeata), and perhaps many others. We are thus 



' This is probably wrong and should be .added to the second. The barn swallow breeds at Una- 

 laska and far northward, and evidently reaches there through California. It and the robin are but 

 accidental on the Piibilofs. 



-In the extracts from the diary of Henry I'almer (Rothschild, Avifauna Laysan, 1893, Vol. I, 

 p. xiv, occurs the following: "A kolca (Golden Plover, Chamdrinx fiilriix) tlcw also round the ship and 

 considerably .astonished me by sitting on the water several times to rest." This occurred just pre- 

 vious to August 18. 



