CHAPTER IX. 



ORNITHOLOGY OF THE PEYBILOV ISLANDS. 



By Dk. Elliott Coues, U. S. A. 



(Ba.scd on Mr. H. W. EllioU's manuscripts and collections.*) 



Mr. Elliott's manuscripts and specimens Laving been sub- 

 mitted to me for elaboration in tlie present connection, an 

 account of the birds of the islands is herewith rendered. His 

 collections furnish the data for most of the technical portions 

 of the memoir, vphile the biographical notices are, in substance, 

 his own; these are placed between quotation-marlvs. Tlie 

 nomenclature and sequence of the species are adapted to the 

 present paper from the latest systematic work upon American 

 ornithology, the author's " Key to North American Birds," in 

 which may be found a diagnosis of each species and variety 

 not herewith described. The numeral prefix of each species is 

 that which it bears in the author's " Check-List of North Amer- 

 ican Birds." 



"With the scientific names are given the English, and, in gen- 

 eral, the Eussian equivalents— tbe latter between quotation- 

 marks. In most cases the synonyms and references of special 

 pertinence are added. 



GENERAL REMAKES ON THE BIRDS OF THE ISLANDS. 



"While a few species of water-fowl come to these islands in 

 innumerable numbers for the purpose of breeding, yet the list 

 of birds to be met with here is a small one. It is, however, of 

 exceeding interest to the naturalist, comprising many denidefata 

 scarcely obtainable elsewhere. 



"Over fifteen miles of the bold, high, basaltic, bluff shore- 

 line of Saint George's Island is fairly covered with hundreds of 

 thousands of nesting gulls {Bissa) and arries, (Uria,) while 



*The scieiitiiao readers of this report will, I am sure, approve of the refer- 

 ence of my MSS. to Dr. Coues for elaboration, as the revision of synonomy 

 has become a serious matter in regard to the uomenclature of natural science, 

 and, already, too many writers have added to existing confusion in this 

 respect by attempting to do that which others tha.a themselves are much 

 better qualified for. — H. W. E. 



