CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 165 



per tail-coverts with broader, more regular bars of the same, these about equal to the brown in 

 width. Lower feathers of the middle and secondary wing-coverts each with an ovoid, white spot 

 on the outer web; secondaries crossed by about three series of longitudinally-ovoid, white spots 

 (situated on the edge of the feathers), and very narrowly tipped with the same; primary coverts 

 with one or two less continuous, transverse series of spots, these fouud only on the outer feathers ; 

 primaries with about seven transverse series of white spots, these obsolete, except ou the five outer 

 feathers, on which those anterior to the emargination are most conspicuous. All the primaries 

 are very narrowly bordered with white at the ends. Tail, with seven or eight very narrow bands 

 of white, those on the middle feathers purely so, becoming obsolete exteriorly ; the last is terminal. 

 Eyebrows, lores, and face grayish-white, the grayish appearance apparently caused by the blackish 

 shaft of the feathers ; that of the face continues (contracting considerably) across the lower parts of 

 the throat, separating a large space of dark brown, which covers the whole throat from an indistinct 

 collar of the same, extending across the jugulum, this collar uniting the lower ends of the auricular 

 and cervical, dusky bands, the space between which is nearly clear white. Ground color of the 

 lower parts white, but everywhere with numerous, very regular, transverse bars of deep brown of 

 a tint more reddish than the back, the brown bars rather more than half as wide as the white ones; 

 across the upper parts of the breast (beneath the gular collar) the white very much invades and 

 reduces the brown, forming a broad, lighter belt across the jugulum; below this the brown bars 

 increase in width, their aggregation tending somewhat to a suffusion, giving the white jugular belt 

 better definition. On the legs and toes the bars are narrower, more distant, and less regular. 

 The whole lining of the wings is barred like the sides. The dark brown prevails on the under sur- 

 face of the primaries, &c. ; the former having transverse, irregular, elliptical spots of white, 

 those touching neither the shaft nor the edge; on the longest quill are seven of these spots ; on 

 all they are anterior to the emargination. 



There is considerable individual variation of plumage in this species. The darker colors may 

 be of a more or less reddish-brown and have the same general distribution of coloration as de- 

 scribed above, or else the lighter colors may be greater in amount with the same general pattern. 

 The beak is generally palest flesh-color in life, or even ivory-white, but becomes yellowish on 

 drying. The claws are dark to pale horn-color. The wing is 9 inches long; tail, 6.5 to 7 inches ; 

 tarsus, .9 inch ; middle toe (without claw), .80 to .83 inch. There are no exterior differences in the 

 sexes of this bird. 



The American Hawk Owl is a very common resident throughout the Yukon district. Along 

 the coast it is quite abundant. They usually seclude themselves in the willow or alder patches, 

 or are frequently startled from some grass-covered bank of a lake. They fly equally well by night 

 or by day. I once observed a bird of this species sitting, during a bright day, on a post. I ap- 

 proached the bird to within a few feet. It squatted, then stood up, and seemed ready to fly at any 

 moment. I went within six feet of it, and it then settled down as if to take a nap. I retired and 

 threw a stick at it to make it fly. I shouted and made other noises, and only after several attempts 

 to dislodge it did it fly. When taking flight from an elevated position they invariably drop to 

 within a few feet of the earth and sail away rapidly. They arc not at all vicious ; they hold tightly 

 with their claws, and in no instance did a wounded Hawk Owl attempt to use its beak, though the 

 feathers on the head and neck were raised and an attitude of threatened attack with beak was 

 always made. After a few minute's captivity they become passive and make no attempt to escape. 

 In the neighborhood of Nulato, Anvik, and Fort Yukon this owl is quite abundant. It is proba- 

 ble that this species rarely wanders far from where it was reared, though excessive periods of cold 

 may cause it to retire to the ravines and bush-patches of the interior. The natives assert that 

 these birds can live several days without food, which consists of small birds and mice ; the heads 

 of its victims being the preferred parts. 



The nesting habits were not learned by me. 



The Eskimo call this bird Tukfe a ling ule, and refers to the spots on the plumage resembling 

 something else. 



390. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). Belted Kingfisher. 

 A single specimen of this bird was obtained at Fort Yukon, It is said to be common along 

 the entire Yukon Riyer and is a summer yisitant only, 



