146 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OP ALASKA. 



223. Phalaropus lob at us (Linn.). Northern Phalarope. 



The Northern Phalarope occurs abundantly at Saint Michael's. It arrives by the 25th of May, 

 though the earliest record of this species was May 13th. This species frequents the shallow pools 

 and margins of the lakes, seeking its food among the sedges and other aquatic plants. It swims 

 among them, or creeps over the little knots of grass. Their food consists entirely of aquatic worms, 

 slugs, larva>, and flies. 



They breed in June. The nest is: placed among the grasses and consists of a lot of grass blades 

 arranged with little care. Four of five eggs of greenish ground, thickly blotched with dark are laid. 

 The young are able to fly by the first of August. The female of this species is noted for having a 

 brighter pattern of coloratiou than the male, and is somewhat larger in size. This species is widely 

 dispersed, and apparently abundant throughout the Yukon district. It occurs far up the Yukon 

 River. On the coast it abounds in the lower portions. Hundreds of them were seeu on the low 

 grounds on the northern side of Abaska. On the Aleutian Islands this species was not observed 

 at Unalashka. On the western islands of the Aleutian Chain it is abundant. Many breed on 

 Atkha, Amchitka, Semichi,and Agattu. At Amchitka they were very numerous among the little 

 streams which form the outlet of the inland lakes. They remain until October on these islands 

 and return in the latter part of April. The iris of thisspecies is variable, a reddish brown to nearly 

 black, the bill is black with lighter base, tarsi and toes bluish with dark joints. 



The Attn people call this bird Chi't khulch and is derived from the note. 



230. Gallinago delicata (Ord). Wilson's Snipe. 



Wilson's Snipe arrives at Saint Michael's early in June, or even in the latter part of May, if 

 the season is sufficiently open. It is common enough, though more often heard than seen. They 

 frequent the more broken higher parts of the lowlands, and always in the vicinity of the larger 

 ponds of fresh water, where they seek their food among the sedges and other aquatic grasses. 

 This Snipe is not shy, and relies more on hiding in the grasses than taking to flight. Early in the 

 morning or late in the night (during the long twilight which prevails from the middle of May to 

 the middle of July in this latitude) is the best time to find these birds on the ground. During 

 these hours they will scarcely fly, unless suddenly startled, but will run along over the ground^ 

 and may be driven for quite a distance, especially in the breeding season, before they fly. 



During the day these birds are mostly on the wing. In the breeding season the males fly 

 high (at times undiscoverable) in the air over the location of the nest. Their wings make a pecu- 

 liar uoise — huttle, huttle — continued for half a minute at a time and repeated at short intervals. 

 This sound is very deceptive, and long search often fails to discover the bird. 



This Snipe remains until the middle of September, and becomes very fat at that season. 



I have seen this bird at the mouth of the Kuskokvim River in June, 1878, and at Nushagak, 

 on Bristol Bay, in the same month. It was not observed on any of the Aleutian Islands. 



232. Macrorhamphus scolopaceus (Say). Long-billed .Dowitcher. 



This Snipe arrives at Saint Michael's after the middle of May, usually about the 20th of the 

 month. It is common in certain localities on the island of Saint Michael's, and more plentiful along 

 the lower end of the " Canal" and neighborhood of the Yukon Delta. It prefers the muddy places 

 and slimy edges of the smaller pools. It is rarely found among the sedges and other grasses, 

 resorting to these places only in the breeding season. It is rare that more than one individual is 

 seen at a time. The nest and eggs were not discovered, though the bird breeds in this vicinity, as 

 it was observed throughout the season until August. 



I observed this Snipe near the Kuskokvim River in June, 1878. I have never seen it on the 

 Aleutian Islands; and, from the physical character of those islands, doubt that it occurs there. 



234. Tringa canutus Linn. Knot. 



The Knot arrives at Saint Michael's by the 25th of May. It breeds along the coast in this 

 vicinity among the grassy swamps. 



I did not see the eggs or nest. It is quite common early in June, but retires to the more 

 secluded places by the middle of the month. The specimens obtained by me did not vary from the 



