THE BIRDS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 397 



immaturity, some of wliicli are described belovy.' No. 118703, im. S , August 5, 1890, 

 St. Paul, W. P., lias three featliers, next to tlie two outside ones on each side of the 

 tail, with a black blotch near the end; in some there is a blotch on each web. There 

 is considerable black on the alula feathers aud on the primary coverts. A few dark 

 feathers around the eye. Eye riug, dull red; feet, dark brown, paler on the toes and 

 tarsi. No. 118700, im. S , July 8, 1890, St. Paul, W. P., has dark spots on tip of alula, 

 slight black edging running down second primary. Eye riug, indian red; bill, green- 

 ish yellow, base aud tip lighter; angle of mouth and interior, deep orange redj feet 

 dark, except upper part of inner webs and inside of tibia, which are blotched with 

 orange yellow. Length 17.25, wing 12.95. No. 118702, S , July 27, St. Paul, W. P. 

 A few black si)0ts on edge of wing, and second primary partly edged, with black on 

 the white for an inch. Bill yellow, brightest toward base, tip very pale horny; eye 

 ring vermilion; angle of mouth and interior deep orange red; feet brown, tinged 

 with yellowish; naked part of tibia, angle of webs and sides of tarsi, orange yellow; 

 tongue dark flesh color. No. 118699, 9 . Plumbeous on sides of head ; bill pale horny 

 yellow; base of lower, black; angle of mouth and inside orange red, black in front; 

 feet dark brownish, webs a little lighter; iris, dark brown; eye ring, vaudyke brown. 

 Length 16.75, spread 39.50, wing 12.37. Two eggs, August 2, St. Paul, W. P., well 

 incubated, measure 2.20 by 1.70, 2.17 by 1.61. Two eggs June 8, 1889, Walrus Island, 

 C. H. Townsend, are 2.42 by 1.63, 2.19 by 1.52. They vary from a white ground color 

 to a pale brownish, and are spotted with numerous irregular small blotches of various 

 shades of brown. Many of these blotches are obscured by later deposits of shell 

 lime. Some eggs show a tendency to a segregation of spots around the larger end 

 and a few show a decided belt, but there is no rule. A few have some wavy lines. 



37. Rissa brevirostris (Bruoh). Red-legged Kittiwake. " Goverooalcie." 

 Lotus WarnecM, Coindb, Rev. et Mag. Zool., 1860, 401. 

 Larus hreinrostris, CouES, in Elliott's Ept. Aff. Alaska, 1873; Repnnt, 1875, 199. — Elliott, Men. 



Seal Ids., 1882, 133. 

 Mssa hrevirostris, Dall and Bann., Trans. Chic. Ac. Sci. 1869, 30.5. — Turner, Con. Nat. Hist. 



Alaska, 1886, 124.— Nelson, Bds. Alaska, 1887, 50.— Townsend, Cruise, Corwlw, 1887, 98.— 



A. O. U. Ch, List, 1895, 16.— Eidgway, Man. 1896, 25.— CouBS, Key, 1890, 748.— Saunders, 



Cat. B. Bri. Mns, XXV, 1896, 312. 



To my mind this is the most beautiful species on the islands. Always graceful, 

 whether on the clifts or flying, its beautiful form aud delicate snow white plumage, 

 with its vermilion feet, adds much to the avifaunal wonders of these islands. I can 

 add little to Mr. Elliott's very full account. Unlike its cousin, which carries its feet 

 extended when flying, this species nearly always buries them in the feathers of its 

 underbody as if fearful of showing their beauty except when absolutely necessary. 

 Their eyes are very dark and very large, much more so when alive than when dead; 

 the eye rings are vermilion. When fog envelops these islands, both the land and sea, 

 the sea birds away from home find their way by flying along the edges of the blufls 

 where the storedheat in the rocks dissipates the rapidly drifting fog. The wily Aleut, 

 knowing these characteristics, ensconces himself behind a rock in a suitable location 

 and with a large dip net intercepts the birds on their way along the bluff's. Thus 



"These specimens readily suggest color changes by meaus of pigment movement, hut really are 

 imperfectly changed young birds. As the dark color exists always on the apical part of the feather, 

 it indicates in such birds a failure for a brief period to suppress the tendency to continue the color of 

 the first plumage, an individual lapse from the evolutional line of progress of the species. 



