30 THE ASIATIC PUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



making fire, or smoking is strictly prohibited near these places.' Only nets are now 

 used to capture the otters, and if any females or yearlings are caught alive they must 

 be set free. The number to be taken is determined in advance by the administration, 

 and the hunting expeditions of the natives are undertaken in common under the 

 leadership of the chief, though each hunter keeps the otter he secures. They are 

 taken off their hands by the Kussian Government at a certain fixed price. 



Of other marine mammals occurring at the Commander Islands, we may further 

 mention four species of hair seals, viz, Phoca largJia,^ fcetida, groenlandica, a,nd.fasciata; 

 three species of ziphioid whales, viz, ZipMus grebnitzldi, Berardius bairdii, and 

 Mesoplodon stejnegeri; a sperm whale {Physeter macrocephalus); several delphinoid 

 whales, among which the terrible enemy of the fur-seal, the killer (Orca gladiator), as 

 well as several species of fin-back whales. 



The land mammals are few, the most important being the Arctic fox ( Vulpes 

 lagopus). These animals, which are now fairly common, yielding a handsome income 

 to the natives, belong almost exclusively to the dark-bluish phase. Their economic 

 importance will be treated of elsewhere in this report. 



There are two rodeuts on Bering Island, but both have been introduced by the 

 agency of man during late years. Mus musoulus, the common house mouse, was 

 brought to Bering Island in 1870 by the schooner Justus in a cargo of flour. The 

 short-tailed red field-mouse (Uvotomys rutilus), which now overruns the islands in 

 vast numbers, was introduced from Kamchatka at a much later date, probably with 

 the firewood. This is probably also the origin of the bats ( Vespertilio f) which are 

 said to have been seen at Nikolski during the last couple of years. 



The introduction of the reindeer [Bangifer tarandus) will be mentioned elsewhere 

 (p. 46). 



BIRDS. 



I have reported upon the birds in a separate volume (Results of Ornithological 

 Explorations in the Commander Islands and in Kamchatka. By Leonhard Stejneger. 

 Bull. No. 29, U. S. Nat. Mus. 1885; 382 pp. -f 8 plates) and in a later supplementary 

 paper (Revised and Annotated Catalogue of the Birds Inhabiting the Commander 

 Islands; Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1887, pp. 117-145 + 3 plates), to which 1 would refer 

 the reader for detailed information. In the last-mentioned paper I enumerated 143 

 species of birds as having been collected in the Commander Islands. To these I 

 can now add four species, viz: (1) Rhodostethia rosea, Ross's gull; adult female 

 presented to me by Mr. Grebnitski (U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 162785); (2) Gavia alba, the 

 ivory gull, a specimen of which Mr. Grebnitski presented to me (CT. S. Nat. Mus., No. 

 151983); (3) Uurynorhynchus pygmceus, the spoon-bill sandpiper, two specimens of 

 which were shot during the latter j)art of September, 1894, and sent by Grebnitski to 

 the museum in St. Petersburg; and (4) Milvus melanotis, the black-eared kite, a mere 

 straggler, taken once on Bering Island. The specimen was presented to the Vega 

 expedition by Mr. Grebnitski (Palm6n, Vega Exp. Yetensk. laktt., v, 1887, p. 294). 



1 Except now in the soutliern part of the island, where shooting is allowed. Sea otters have 

 recently increased at the Southeast Cape, and the shooting is permitted in order that the animals may 

 be driven to the northern end of the island, where they can he watched and protected more effectually. 



2 During 1896 there were killed 49 "nerpi" on Bering Island and 22 on Copper Island. 



