30 University of California Publications in Zoology. ["Vol. 7 



and feeding on the spawning herring. An adult specimen shot 

 at this point disgorged about two dozen herring. Individuals 

 were seen during the summer at nearly every point visited, and 

 the loud uncanny call peculiar to the species was heard almost 

 daily, so it probably breeds throughout the region, though no 

 nests were found nor young ones observed. Most of the birds 

 seen were feeding, either singly or in pairs, in deep water. 



In the large flocks observed early in May the individuals 

 in the plain, immature plumage greatly outnumbered those in 

 adult or summer plumage, and it seems possible that many 

 non-breeding birds retain the winter garb throughout the year. 

 These plain colored birds had conspicuously lighter colored bills 

 than the others; several were pursued and killed, in the belief 

 that they might be Gavia adamsi. 



Gavia pacifica (Lawrence). Pacific Loon. 



A small loon with conspicuously grayish head, presumably 

 this species, was frequently seen, sometimes in numbers, at 

 various places during the summer. At Three-mile Arm, Kuiu 

 Island, they formed a large part of the flocks seen feeding on 

 the herring, and they were subsequently seen in the bays and 

 channels arotmd Prince of Wales and Dall islands, and at 

 various points along Clarence Straits, Frederick Sound, and 

 Stephens Passage. 



Gavia stellata (Pontoppidan). Red-throated Loon. 



The red-throated loon was positively identified at but very 

 few points. At Kuiu Island a number were seen in the large 

 flocks of loons observed at that place; at San Alberto Bay, 

 Prince of Wales Island, several were seen ; and at Duke Island, 

 June 7-9, one or two were heard calling. 



Loons of some species were seen from the launch the whole 

 summer through, as we travelled from place to place, but they 

 were invariably very wild, diving when we were still far away, 

 and almost never permitting us to approach within gunshot. 

 Consequently we were frequently quite unable to identify the 

 birds seen. 



