CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTOET OF ALASKA. 135 



are released. This bird is not at all shy. They are, iu the middle of the winter, usually found 

 singly or in small flocks. At this season they will even separate their ranks to allow a canoe 

 pass between them, or else fly a few yards and again settle. They usually are near the shore, 

 searching the shallow, pebbly places for food when the surf is high. When a breaker comes over 

 them they dive until it passes. At Attu 1 have seen them dive before a breaker struck them, and 

 in such shallow water that I often wondered how they held on, as they come up at times not a foot 

 from where they went down. They have a peculiar whistle for a note, and in the mating season, 

 early in March, they assemble in larger flocks (sometimes as many as twenty or thirty individuals 

 form a flock) ; they then constantly utter this whistle, as they chase each other over and through the 

 water. Several males will attend one female during this season until she selects her choice. Dur- 

 ing the breeding season I have seen three males with one female. 



The flesh of this duck is good, but somewhat fishy. 



The Aleuts have but little liking for its flesh, as they seldom shoot it when they have oppor- 

 tunity. 



The nest and eggs were not procured and the only nest I ever saw was near Iliuliuk village, 

 on Unalashka Island. Two immense blocks of rock had become detached from the cliff above, and 

 when they fell their edges formed a hollow place beneath. In under this I discovered a deserted 

 nest, which the native who was with me asserted was that of a bird of this species. The form 

 was similar to that of the nest of C. hyemalis, and in fact so closely resembled it that I persisted 

 in it being of this bird until the native asked me if I did not know that the Old-squaw did not build 

 in such places. 



157. Eniconetta stelleri (Pall.). Steller's Bud:. 



Steller's Duck is rare at Saint Michael's. 



On the southern and eastern shores of Bristol Bay and the northern shores of Aliaska this 

 species is plentiful. 



Among the Aleutian Islands it is only rarely seen in summer. In winter it abounds in Cap- 

 tain's Harbor on Unalashka Island. It keeps off shore and ventures nearer only in boisterous 

 weather. It dives deep in the water for its food, and remains under a great length of time. Its 

 food is of an animal nature, procured from the sea. 



I was never able to procure the eggs of this species. 



The winter plumage of the male is extremely beautiful. The top and sides of the head silky, 

 silvery-white, with faint greenish shade on forehead and lores; an anteorbital spot of velvety green; 

 circumorbital black spot, narrow in front and wider behind ; an occipital band of green, having a 

 minute black edge at the lateral ends; rest of head and upper hind neck white; chin and throat 

 black, with bluish reflection; a narrow collar of greenish blue-black on neck in front, which in the 

 hind neck is continuous with the same color on the back, becoming purplish blue-black on the 

 upper back and darkening posteriorly, where the rump and upper tail coverts are lustrous, daik 

 slaty black. The scapulars and interscapulars long, and the latter linear, having the exterior 

 web, with brilliant, violet blue-black reflection on each of the linear feathers; the inner web white, 

 and each of these feathers tipped with white. The speculum of samp color, but with a white in- 

 terior spot on each feather, forming a perpendicular bar; preceding the speculum is a white bar, 

 having nearly double the width of the posterior one. Wing slaty black, rather ligher toward the 

 insertion of the quills; tail same color as wings. A narrow white collar incircling the upper breast 

 and broadening out on the sides of the lower hind neck. A small blue-black spot on the sides of 

 the breast where the feathers overlap the carpal joint of the closed wing. Under surface of the 

 body deep brownish black, darkening posteriorly, to become black on the crissum and under tail- 

 coverts, and becoming rich reddish brown on breast and sides, which on the upper sides and upper 

 breast become buff, fading to a creamy white on the shoulders and under the wings. The sides 

 directly uuder the carpal joint of the closed wing have a distinct black blotch of small size. 



The female in winter has the head light olive-brown, slightly mixed with rufous and finely 

 marked with black, producing faint narrow bars. On the neck and upper back the reddish brown 

 is confined to a crescentic margin and tip to each feather, inclosing a small, rounded black spot, 

 the middle having a narrow tip of reddish brown of darker shade to each feather, becoming abso- 



