Sept., 1918 SUMMER BIRDS OF ALERT BAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA 185 



indicate that the iris changes from hazel in the young to silver in the immature and back 

 again to the original hazel in the adult. It thus seems that the Short-billed Gull is not 

 mature until after its third winter at least. 



8. Larus heermanni. Heermann Gull. Very common. All plumages seemed to 

 be present, though birds of the year were scarce. Five specimens were taken, all in 

 worn and molting condition. I have not a sufficient series to work out the ages, but 

 suspect that some of them are just taking on the first adult winter plumage. In sum- 

 mer, Herring Gulls divide into breeding and non-breeding communities, the latter con- 

 sisting mostly of juveniles approaching maturity and a few subnormal adults. These 

 Heermann Gulls summering far north of their breeding grounds are probably of this 

 type. 



9. Puffinus griseus (sp?). Shearwater. On the east side of Cormorant Island 

 I saw two shearwaters beating and wheeling along the shore. Enroute from Alert Bay 

 to Prince Rupert, in Queen Charlotte Sound, I saw from the ship a number of similar 

 gray birds. None came close enough for specific determination and I include them un- 

 der this species hypothetically. 



10. Nettion carol inensis. Green-winged Teal. Two juvenile males were taken in 

 the lower stretch of the Nimkish River. 



11. Mergus sp?. Merganser. A couple of juvenile or female mergansers were 

 seen in the channel between Vancouver and Cormorant islands but could not be speci- 

 fically identified. 



12. Oidemia deglandi. White-winged Scoter. Seen several times flying up or 

 down the main steamer channel. 



13. Branta canadensis. Canada Goose. A flock noted flying up the main steamer 

 channel. 



14. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. Quite a number seen at low tide on the 

 flats about the mouth of the Nimkish River. 



15. Ereunetes mauri. Western Sandpiper. Flocks containing several hundred 

 small sandpipers were seen on the flats at the mouth of the Nimkish River, and a few 

 smaller groups on the beach in front of Alert Bay. All taken were typical mauri. 



16. /Egialitis semipalmata. Semipalmated Plover. One specimen, a juvenile, was 

 shot from a flock of Western Sandpipers at the mouth of the Nimkish. 



17. Bonasa umbellus. Ruffed Grouse. Two seen along the logging railroad be- 

 tween the mouth cf the river and Nimkish Lake. A day or so later a prospector going 

 over the same ground saw a dozen or more. The only bird taken is a female and typical 

 sabini. 



18. Dendragapus obscurus. Blue Grouse. Said to occur on Vancouver Island 

 opposite, but not noted by me. 



19. Lagopus (sp?). Ptarmigan. Ptarmigan are said to occur at some elevation 

 on Vancouver Island opposite. Fannin 3 only gives rupestris without verifying evidence 

 for Vancouver Island, and Swarth 4 leucurus on specimens taken. 



20. Columba fasciata. Band-tailed Pigeon. Two seen in the high tree tops in the 

 slashings near the mouth of the Nimkish River. 



21. Haliaeetus leucocephalus. Bald Eagle. Quite common along the whole coast 

 traversed by daylight from Vancouver to Alert Bay. This includes from near Comox 

 northwards. They were often noted sitting on floating debris out in mid-channel. About 

 the mouth of the Nimkish River they were very numerous and came to feed on the 

 exposed mud flats, being seen in adjoining trees waiting for the water to fall. It is 

 indicative of the height of this comparatively moderate sized timber, that while straight 

 below birds that were still some distance from the extreme top I was repeatedly unable 

 to reach them with heavy charges of no. 1 shot frcm a twelve gauge gun. 



22. Falco columbarius. Pigeon Hawk. One taken near the mouth of the Nimkish. 

 This proves to be a juvenile, and is so much darker than comparable eastern birds that 

 I have little hesitancy in referring it to suckleyi. Another seen flying behind the village 

 of Alert Bay was so obviously black that I include it under the same form. 



23. Otus asio. Screech Owl. Several nights at Alert Bay I was serenaded by 

 what I took to be a screech owl. The tremolo was similar to that of our eastern birds 



B C Sor 10 ^ 6 BriUsh Columbia Birds - Francis Kermode, Provincial Museum, Victoria. 

 4 Univ. Calif. Publ. Zoology, vol. 10, no. 1, 1912, 



