1 30 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 



faced rock; and, in most instances, about forty feet above the sea. The nest is large, built of sea- 

 weeds, a few grass stalks, and an abundance of its own excrement. 



They are filthy about their nests; the walls of the neighboring rocks are covered with the liquid 

 excrement of this bird, and may oftener lead to the discovery of a nest than any other sign. The 

 nests which I observed on Amchitka Island were being occupied June 7. The eggs number three 

 or four, blue of pale shade to white in color. They receive accumulations from the nest and soon 

 are indistinguishable in color. The young are hatched by the middle of July and take to the water 

 by the middle of August. They are then somewhat heavier than the old bird. The young assume 

 the adult plumage on the second year. The color of the bill is dark on the ridge and yellowish 

 below, the upper mandible having a greater or less amount of dark while the lower is nearly 

 always yellowish, with perhaps a lighter tip and darker base. The gular sack is red and wrinkled. 

 I do not remember to have heard a sound uttered by this bird. 



They are exceedingly inquisitive and will fly round and round a vessel or boat, sometimes 

 within a few feet of the sails. When on the nest it frequently stretches out its snake-like neck to 

 watch a passing canoe, and its curiosity not being satisfied the bird will leave its nest to follow. 



It is by far the most beautiful bird of Bering Sea. The plumage glitters with metallic re- 

 flections of blue, purple, and bronze. 



During severe weather of the winter and fall these birds resort to the high rocky ledges or 

 the single rocks which jut from the sea. Some of the rocks are fairly covered with these birds, 

 and these appearing like a lot of black bottles standing on the rock. The natives of all parts of 

 the country use the flesh of this bird for food. Some of the Aleuts, especially those of Attu, prize 

 the flesh more than any other bird. They formerly obtained many of these birds with a kind of 

 net which was thrown over the birds when sitting on the shore rocks, being driven there by the 

 severity of a storm so that the birds could not remain on the outer rocks without being washed off. 



In former years this bird was reported to be extremely abundant at Attu, but has greatly dis- 

 appeared in the last fifteen years. 



Before the introduction of civilized clothing the skins of these birds were used for clothing. 

 Fifteen of them were counted as a. parka or long gown-like garment. 



The natives of Attu have spoken to me of another cormorant, which many years ago abounded 

 there, but in the last fifteen years none have been seen. They describe it as being fully twice as 

 large as the red-faced cormorant and of different plumage. From the description, I have reason 

 to suspect that the bird referred to was Phalacracorax perspicillatus Pall. 



The Eskimo name of this species is tfg a zhuk, and means cliff-dweller. This word is also used 

 to mean any kind of dried, desiccated meat. 



123a. Phalacrocorax pelagictjs robtjsttjs Eidgw. Violet-green Cormorant. 



The Violet-green Cormorant is very common near the entrance to Saint Michael's. These birds 

 arrive about the 5th of June and remain until the ice closes in in October or November. They 

 frequent the rocky shores and cliffs. A few of this species breed near Saint Michael's. 



When passing along the shores of Bristol Bay I observed numerous Cormorants, which I also 

 referred to the present form. 



124. Phalacrocorax urile (Gmel.). Bed-faced Cormorant. 

 A single specimen of this Cormorant was obtained at Saint Michael's. I did not to a certainty 

 observe it in any other locality, though it is known to occur in numbers in other parts of the ter- 

 ritory. The Russians have the word TJ reel to be an equivalent with our word Shag or Cormorant; 

 and, again, the Russian-speaking population, together with the natives, have each singular ideas of 

 color, so that any attempt to obtain information of birds, by describing their colors, is very unsat- 

 isfactory and frequently exasperating. 



129. Merganser americanus (Cass.). American Merganser. 

 A pair of these birds was seen in the possession of a native at Unalashka Island, January 17, 

 1879. He would not part with them on any consideration, as he supposed the good will of the 

 person to whom they were presented to be of more value than anything received from one outside 







