38 XATUEAL HISTOEY COLLECTIONS IN ALASKA. 



The end of August sees all upon the wing, except now and then a late bird, and from Septem- 

 ber 15 to 30 they gradually become more and more scarce, until only a very few can be found the first 

 of October. The habits of this species and the Black-throated Loon are very similar in the north, 

 and both agree in being far less shy than when in their winter homes. 



The Eed-throated Loon is one of the very few birds which raises its voice in the quiet of the 

 short Arctic night. In spring, with cranes, they foretell an approaching storm by the increased 

 repetition and vehemence of their cries. 



At Amchitka, on the western end of the Aleutian chain, Dall found these birds breeding abun- 

 dantly. A female surprised with a young one in a small jjool sank slowly until only her neck 

 remained in view, and the chick at once took position on the parent's back. 



The species breeds at Point Barrow, where Murdoch found it common. It is also numerous 

 and breeds upon the Commander Islands. 



Lttnda cikehata Pall. Tufted Puffin (Bsk. Ke-lang Uh). 



This species has the same distribution as the next one, but is found in very small numbers as 

 comijared with the host of the other species. Their habits and migrations are also the same. A 

 few individuals were seen at Cape Lisburne and Kotzebue Sound, in the Arctic, and they are known 

 from there south to the Californiau coast. In the Aleutian Islands they are much more numerous 

 than farther north, but they are rather common in Norton Sound. It breeds abundantly on the 

 Near Islands, where it does not winter. They are extremely abundant about the Commander 

 Islands, where the natives cai)ture them in hand-nets. The skins of both this and the following 

 species are used bj' the Eskimo of the coast and islands for clothing, and the silky tufts of cirrhata 

 are sewed into ornamental work by the Aleuts. 



This bird lays a single rough grayish-white egg, measuring about 2.80 or 2.85 by 1.90 or 1.95. 



The egg is usually laid in a small depression in the damp earth at the bottom of a crevice in 

 the rocks. The young when taken in hand try to bite, and peep loudly. When kept together in 

 a box I found the young birds, over half grown, very quarrelsome, and they were also voracious 

 eaters. The two largest ones were continually quarreling, and seizing each other by the beak 

 they would pull and tumble about until separated. Two young birds soon became very tame and 

 enjoyed petting, but a half-grown corniculata always remained vicious. The last survivor of this 

 party was a half-grown cirrhata, which I kept as a pet in one corner of my room in a box open at 

 the top. 



This bird never liked to be handled, but enjoyed being near me, and would follow me from 

 one room to the other with the most absurd expression of gravity. At daybreak each morning 

 "Dick" would climb out of his box and come into my room and stand in front of my bed, looking 

 up first with one eye and then the other ; if no notice was taken he would soon compose himself 

 to sleep until I got up and gave him his breakfast. 



In December the bird was not over two-thirds grown and still wore its first plumage, while 

 its bill was still without a sign of its proper spring-form. "Dick" was given in charge of a native 

 during my temporary absence, and before my return, was killed by a dog. 



A young bird taken at sea by an Eskimo on October 10 still had down attached to the 

 feathers. The feet and legs of this bird were dingy olive, the bill blackish at base, changing to 

 dull yellowish on the outeb two-thirds, with an underlying orange shade. Iris, dark hazel. The 

 basal third of the bill is sheathed in a leathery membrane, which marks the portion which is 

 moulted by the adults. 



For a detailed account of the bill moult of this species see Stejneger {loc. cit.). 



FjiATEKCULA CORNICULATA (Naum.). Horned Puffin (Esk. EatiUcK-jaUk). 



From Cape Lisburne, on the Arctic coast, to thesouthern point of the Alaskan shore, including 

 all the islands of Bering Sea and other adjacent waters, the presence of rugged cliffs, or rocky 

 slopes from the sea, are enough to attract numbers of this odd bird to breed in the shelter thus 

 afforded. They breed abundantly on the Near Islands, but are not resident there. They are resident 



