' CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 121 



Unalashka Island. It was the only one seen in that locality. The native who brought it to me 

 asserted that this species is abundant throughout the year at Sannakh Island. They breed there, 

 laying a single, pure white egg. The nest is placed among the roots of the large tussocks of grass 

 on the edges of bluffs and cliff ledges. 



I observed several of these birds to the westward of Unalashka Island. They are not rare on, 

 Amchitka Island, and in the neighborhood of the Old Harbor, on Atkha Island. 



The specimen obtained by me was in the winter plumage of the following pattern : 



Forehead, top and back of head dark plumbeous, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts plumbe- 

 ous. The feathers of the middle back and whole of the rump tipped very narrowly with white- 

 Tail dusky, tipped narrowly with white. Wings dusky slate. Secondaries and greater coverts 

 narrowly tipped with white. Scapulars chiefly white, forming a broad, longitudinal stripe. A nar- 

 row, white collar round hind neck scarcely interrupted in middle portion. A broad, transverse 

 space of uniform slate color on each side of breast, separated by less than an inch of white between 

 them. Lores, superciliary and supra auricular regions, with rest of head and neck and entire lower 

 parts, pure white. 



Bill black, feet weak, pale blue in front and darker posteriorly. Claws aud iris black. 



The followiug measurements were taken. Length, 9.75 ; wing. 5.15 ; bill, 4; rictus, 1 ; tarsus, 5 ; 

 middle toe, 95. A comparison of this species with that of B. marmoratus shows the winter plumage 

 of the latter to be : Forehead, sides, top and back of head dusty slate ; back anil rump plumbeous, 

 each feather of the back narrowly tipped with white; tail, slate; wings, dark slate, the remiges 

 decidedly darker. The secondaries and greater coverts tipped with a narrow edge of white. 

 Scapulars white, forming a broad longitudinal stripe. Beneath pure white. White collar inter- 

 rupted, for nearly half an inch, on back of neck. Measurements show: Length, 10.2; wing, 4 9; 

 bill, .8; rictus, 1.3; tarsus, .78; middle toe, 1.1. 



28. Cepphtjs mandtii (Licht.). Mandfs Guillemot. 



The Black Guillemot occurs rarely at Saint Michael's; only two specimens were obtained there. 

 One of them was shot February 1, 1875, after a severe storm had moved the ice. 



It was obtained by a native, who shot it as it sat in a crevice of the ice. It was in the winter 

 plumage. The second specimen was obtained late in March of 1875, far out at sea beyond Stewart's 

 Island, and procured also by a native, who was out sealing. 



I know nothing of the general habits of this bird. It was not observed at any other place 

 alougthe coast, or on the Aleutian Islauds. 



The bill and iris are black, mouth crimson, feet red. 



29. Cepphtjs coltjmba (Pall.). Pigeon Guillemot. 



This Guillemot occurs sparingly in the vicinity of Saint Michael's. Around the northeast end 

 of the island of Saint Michael's and near Whale Island a few may be seen after the ice has left the 

 shores. It breeds on the little islet near Whale Island. I could not obtain the ea'gs, because they 

 were too far under the huge blocks of stone at its base. 



At Cape Newenhain I observed numbers of these birds in June, 187S. 



This species is abundant at some of the Aleutian Islands. It frequents the small islets off 

 shore and is rather shy, permitting no reasonable approach. The only way I could obtain them 

 was to watch from the top of some bluff aud shoot them as they sat below. They utter only one 

 note, a sharp, ringing twseet. When sitting on the water they ride buoyantly, aud rise without 

 difficulty. This species is not abundant at the extreme western Aleutian Islauds; but few were 

 seen at Attn, though in the neighborhood of Agattu and the Semichi Islands they are more plenti- 

 ful, and not observed in winter. On the south side of Aliaska, and adjacent islauds, I saw numbers 

 of these birds. 



Off to the north of Umuak Island, about twenty miles distant, lies the recently upheaved island, 

 named Bogoslov; here I saw thousands of these Guillemots in 1881, as 1 passed it. The island 

 seemed to be one of the principal breeding grounds of this species, as they were here In such num- 

 bers in June. 



The mouth and feet of this bird are bright red ; claws, bill, and iris black. The Eskimo name 

 of this Guillemot is Ti tulc. 

 S. Mis. 155 16 



