ALASKA. 179 



this rbese ill-omeued, croaking birds perch at all hours of the 

 day, defiling the cross and tinned dome-roof below them, with- 

 out exciting the slightest sense of the ridiculous or impropriety 

 among the people there, the stranger only being amused." 



341. Falco isacer, Forst. — GyrfaJcon. 



Fa'co sacer, Forst. Phil. Traus. Ixxii, 423, (1772.)— Baird. 

 Trans. Chicago Acad, i, 271, (1869.) — Coles. Key N. A. Birds, 

 21:;, (1872. 



Finding nothing definite in Mr. Elliott's manuscripts respect- 

 ing this bird, we conclude that it does not reside on the islands, 

 where, however, its casual presence is attested by a specimen in 

 the collection labeled " Saint Paul's, March, '73." It is a young 

 bird, apparently in its second year, which had doubtless wan- 

 dered or been forced out of its usual way. 



However we may interpret the relation subsisting between the 

 various forms of Hierofalco, the name Falco sacer (Forst.) is 

 specially pertinent to the present one, and has priority over the 

 several designations more frequently employed. 



"Hawks, like owls, are occasionally seen oii the islands, the 

 latter during the winter, especially. They do not remain long, 

 and never breed, although the natives on Saint George's stoutly 

 assert that a ' small brown owl' breeds there. I made unavail- 

 ing search for it." Very probably the hawk-owl, [Surnia ulula.) 



.S96. Charadi'ius fulviis, Gji. — Golden Plover. 



Charadrius fulvua, Gm. Syst. Nat., i, 687, (1788.) 



Charadrius pluvialis, HoKSF. Traus. Linn. Soc, xii, 187, (1822.) 



Charadrius xanthocheihis, Waglbr. Syst. Av., Charad. sp. 36, 



(1827.) 

 Charadrius taitensis, Less. Man. Orn. ii, 321, (1828.) 

 Charadrius virginianus, JAED. et Selb. 111. ii, pi. 85, (circ. 1830.) 

 Charadrius glaucopu^, Forst. Descr. An., ed. Licht., 176, (1844.) 

 Charadrius virginicus, Blyth. Cat. B. Mns. As. Soc, 262, (1849.) 

 Charadrius longipes, Temmikck. 



Charadrius auratus orienialis, Tbmm. et Schi.eg. Fn. Japonica. 

 Charadrius auratus, Schrenk. Amur Reiae, 410, (1860.) 

 Pluvialis fulvus, Schlegel. Mus. Pays-Bas, Cursores, p. 50, 



(1864.) 

 Pluvialis fulvua, taitensis, xanthoeheilus, longipes, Bp. Compt. 



Rend., 417, (1856.) 



The single specimen of golden plover preserved by Mr. Elliott 

 is of special interest and importance, since it is conclusively 

 determined to be the true Asiatic fulvus, and not the North 

 American var. virginicus. This discovery represents an addi- 

 tion to our Fauna, for G. fulvus has not hitherto been recognized 



