142 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 



the low grounds, bordering the strait between these two islands, were in former years, a favorite 

 place for shooting these birds ; for here they flew but few yards above the ground. As many as a 

 hundred and fifty were obtained in a single morning's shooting. In later years they have become 

 much less numerous in this particular locality. Their flight was directed to the Kavyayak Penin- 

 sula, north of Norton Sound. The} do not remain on flight more than a week or ten days, in their 

 migration, in spring. The natives living on the south side of that peninsula assert that this bird 

 does not breed there, but continues its flight to the Arctic regions. They do not breed in the Yukon 

 district, but return in the fall by the way of the interior, for but few are then seen. 



This species does uot occur on the Aleutian Islands to my knowledge. 



The flesh is not good, as the birds are so lean in the spring that they are strongly flavored. 

 They are eaten by the Russians and natives. 



The Russian name of this species is Ntmke, when used in the plural number. 



176. Philaote oanagica (Sevast.). Emperor Goose. 



This beautiful goose is found in all parts of Alaska within the following boundaries: 



Cook's Inlet for the eastern, the peninsula of Aliaska and islands to the south of it for the 

 southern boundary, and extending to Attu Island, which forms the western limit. The northern 

 boundary includes the Aleutian Islands, Pribylof Group, and Saint Lawrence Island, then across 

 eastward to Saint Michael's, on the mainland. 



The habitat of this goose is strictly littoral-maritime, frequenting only the reefs, rocks, and 

 shoals of the salt water and the brackish lagoons of the mainland coast. It is never found in fresh- 

 water localities, excepting those contiguous to the sea, such as the lower Yukon Delta, mouth of 

 the Kuskokvim River, and the bars lying off the mouth of theNushagak River. It is most abun- 

 dant in the vicinity of Kothlik, on the northern edge of the Yukon Delta; the title lagoons near 

 Cape Romanzof and those at the mouth of the Ugasik River on the north and east end of the penin- 

 sula of Aliaska, on Sannakh Island, and some of the Aleutian Islands. 



The more northern localities mentioned form the summer habitat and breeding grounds, while 

 the entire south side of the Aliaskau Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands form the winter resort- 



The migration to the northward begins in April, after the middle of the month. A constant 

 stream of these geese pour into the lagoons, on the north side of the peninsula, in the neighborhood 

 of Ugasik. They remain there until the snow and ice begin to clear from their breeding-grounds, 

 on which they arrive by the middle of May or early part of June. By the middle of June incu- 

 bation has beguu. A slight depression in the ground, lined with few stalks of grass and few feath- 

 ers from the parent bird, forms a nest in which are deposited seven to eleven eggs of a soiled white, 

 or sometimes with dots of pale olive. The presence of the dottings on the shell is extremely vari- 

 able, as even eggs in the same nest will be without them, or sometimes only one part of the egg will 

 be so marked. The period of incubation was not determined. The young leave the nest as soon 

 as hatched and remain with the parent birds. The former are able to fly by the first week in Sep- 

 tember, as a young bird was killed by me at Saint Michael's on the 9th of September, 1874. It was 

 the only one of its kind ever obtained in that immediate locality. A few miles to the south of 

 that place the bird becomes numerous. 



In the month of October, usually from the 7th to the 20th of the mouth, a strong north-northeast 

 wind blows, attaining at times a strong gale rate. This constant wind has the effect of lowering the 

 waters of Norton Sound to a remarkable degree, sometimes as much as eight feet below the lowest 

 water of other seasons. 



At this period the Emperor Goose visits the vicinity of Stewart's and Saint Michael's Islands 

 in great numbers to feed on the shell-fish exposed by the low water. By the 15th of November 

 the rocks are covered with frozen slush. The geese then depart for the south side of the peninsula 

 and the Aleutian Islands. They arrive at Unalashka by the 1st of December, and remain until 

 the next April. 



In Captain's Harbor (Uualashka Island) several reefs are frequented by them during the night 

 and early morn. 



On Athakh, Kauaga, Tanaga, Amchitka, and Kiska Islands they are plentiful in January, 

 February, and March. At Attu these geese arrive in the latter part of December and remain until 



