ALASKA. 173 



50a. Anorthiira troglodytes var. alascensis, (Bd.) Coues.— 

 Alaskan TTinter TTren. " Limmer-shiii." 

 Troglodytes alascensis, Baied. Trans. Chicago Acad., i, 315, pi. 30, 



Sg. 3, (1869.) Saint George's Is. 

 Anorthura alascensis, CouES. Key N. A. Birds, 87, (1872.) 

 Anorthura troglodytes var. alascensis, CouES. Ibid,, 3.51. 

 Troglodytes liyemaUs var. alascensis, Dall. Proc. Cala. Acad'. 

 Sci., (Feb. 8, 1873.) 



This interesting local form of Anorthura differs from the ordi- 

 nary North American bird in its superior size and darker brown 

 colors, and iu the much greater length and caliber of the bill. 

 In young birds the difference is less strongly marked. The 

 dimensions of an adult iu Mr. Elliott's collection are as fol- 

 lows: bill, along culmen, .58 ; wing, 1.90; tail, 1.30; tarsus, .62; 

 middle toe and claw, .64. The corresponding dimensions of an 

 average specimen of var. liyemaUs are : .39, 1.80, 1.20, .62, .58. 



" This brave little bird was first brought into notice by Mr. 

 Dall, who collected a single specimen while on the island in 

 1868, and sent it to the Smithsonian Institution. In his brief 

 note accompanying it he speaks of its being abundant there, 

 ■while I, in 1873, shot almost every one that I saw, and yet at the 

 end of the season, August 4, I had but seven specimens. It 

 was seldom seen, but then again in 1874 they were quite 

 numerous. 



" It is not a migratory bird, but remains permanently upon 

 the island. Its nest is built in small, deep holes and crevices 

 in the cliffs. I have not myself seen it, but the natives say that 

 it lays from eight to ten eggs, in a nest made of soft, dry grass 

 and feathers, roofed over, with an entrance at the side to the 

 nest-chamber, thus being of elaborate construction. 



" The male is very gay during the period of mating and incu- 

 bation, flying incessantly from plant to plant or rock to rock, 

 singing a rather shrill and very loud song, and making, for a 

 small bird, a great noise. 



" I shot the young, fully fledged, on the 28th of July, differ- 

 ing only from the parent in having a much shorter bill, and iu 

 a general darker and more diffuse coloration. 



"Although Saint Paul's Island is but twenty-seven miles to 

 the northwest from Saint George's, not a single specimen of this 

 little wren has been seen there. I made, during the whole sea- 

 son of 1872, unavailing search for it. 



" The native name, ' limmer-shin,' signifies a ' chew of tobacco,' 



