76 NATUEAL "HISTOEY COLLECTIONS IN ALASKA. 



During our several visits to the north coast of Siberia in the summer of 1881 we found eno: 

 mous flocks of these birds frequenting the broad river mouths and lagoons of this coa'st, northwes 

 of Bering Straits. 



In autumn, as they pass south, stray individuals and parties are found in Norton Sounc 

 Those taken there are usually young of the year. The earliest date of their capture at Sain 

 Michaels, during my stay, was on September 21, and the latest on October 15, just as the bay bega 

 to freeze over. They are more numerous about this latter date. Six specimens, all young of th 

 year, taken on the date named, had dark-blue bills and slaty-olive feet and legs, with irides dar 

 hazel. 



Their dimensions when fresh were ftom 16 inches in length by 27 inches in extent of wings t 

 17.25 by 29. 



When found at Saint Michaels they usually frequented outlying rocky islets and exposed reefs 

 and fed in the small tide-rips. 



The shallow, turbid water of Norton Sound seems to be offensive to the majority of thes 

 birds, as their chosen haunts are along coasts where the water is clear and deep close to the short 



This duck is rather common at Point Barrow, where they arrive early in June and leave b; 

 the middle of August. Although Murdoch found small parties of these birds scattered over th 

 tundra there in the breeding season he found no nests. The majority of the breeding birds aj 

 peared to go to some distant breedmg ground. The males assume a brown plumage after th 

 breeding season, according to this naturalist. 



It is abundant in winter on the Near Islands, where they breed sparingly. On the Com 

 mander Islands they winter in great abundance, arriving about November 1 and leaving toward th 

 end of May. 



Aectonetta fischeei (Brandt), Spectacled Eider (Esk. iTng-'A). 



The Spectacled Eider has until recently been credited with a very restricted range on the Berin: 

 Sea coast of Alaska. It has been ascertained, however, to be a regular but rather rare summe 

 resident at Point Barrow, where it breeds. Murdoch took a female there with an egg in th 

 oviduct, ready for laying, on June 19, and the nearly grown young were taken the last of August 

 They arrive at the point, with the last of the other Eiders, in spring. The bird's occurrence her 

 greatly extends its known range, as does Turner's note of the species as a common breeding resi 

 dent on the Near Islands. These two records nearly double the extent of the known habitat o 

 the species. 



rts restricted range has, up to the present time, rendered this bird among the least known of ou 

 water-fowl. Even in the districts where it occurs it is so extremely local that a few miles may leai 

 one to places they never visit. Although living so far north yet it is one of the last among th 

 wat«r-fowl to reach its breeding ground at the Yukon delta and the coast of Norton Sound. M; 

 observations show this species to be strictly limited to the salt marshes bordering the east coas 

 of Bering Sea, and thus favoring the shallow, muddy, coast waters, which appear to be so distaste 

 ful to Steller's Eider. 



In Mr. Ball's paper upon the birds of Alaska he limits the breeding ground of the Spectacle' 

 Eider to the marshes between the island of Saint Michaels and the mainland. This, with the state 

 ment made to him by natives that they are never found north of Saint Michaels, is not born 

 out by my observations, for these Eiders breed from the head of Norton Bay south to the mout 

 of the Kuskoquim, at least. Saint Michaels may be noted as the center of abundance. The; 

 were not seen by me in Kotzebue Sound, although, from the natives, I was led to exi^ect ther 

 there. Strangely enough, we have no positive information regarding their winter habitat, am 

 can only surmise that they frequent the Alaskan coast of the North Pacific. 



It was named to Mr. Dall by the Aleuts at Unalaska as a winter visitant, and he notes tha 

 it migrates early in May for its northern breeding grounds. It was not noted by Elliott amon 

 the birds of the Fur Seal Islands, nor is it known to have been taken at Kadiak Island. It i 

 very likely to occur on this latter island in winter. 



' In the vicinity of Saint Michaels they rarely begin to arrive before the 15th of May. Th 

 season of 1879 they were first seen by me at the Yukon mouth on this date, but the main body c 

 the migration did not take jjlace until the 25th 



