288 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
As soon as the ground is well covered with snow, these birds appear 
on the river, where they may generally be found in coveys, among the 
willow thickets. They are moderately shy, and on alarm, fly immedi- 
ately, but without much noise. They make regular paths along the 
banks, among the willows, on which they always run ; and the Indians 
set a small barrier of brush on each side of this path, and a snare directly 
across it, and catch them by hundreds in this manner, though the vigilant 
ravens and foxes are ever on the watch to devour the bird as soon as 
snared. They are abundant in the fall and mid-winter. In February 
they gather in immense flocks, and go nobody knows where. About tlie 
middle of March they return as suddenly, and remain a few weeks, 
when they go altogether to the mountains or open country, where they 
pair and breed. These facts have been known to me from observation 
for two years, and the Russians and Indians bear witness that it is so 
eveiy year. In 1867 they left about February 15th, and came back 
about April 1st, leaving for the mountains about May 3rd. In 1868 they 
left about February 10th, and came back March 21st, leaving for the 
mountains April 28th, going and coming in great flocks, like a snow 
squall. They begin to moult about the middle of April, and leave before 
the change is very great. The feathers of the head, and outer edges of 
the wings, and upper tail coverts change first. They never, as far as I 
have seen, assume the summer dress completely, always retaining more 
or less of the white among their brown feathers. It is hard to imagine 
a more dirty, bedraggled-looking object than a female of this species 
during incubation. At this period, a series of capillaries in the skin of 
the abdomen become sufi'used and engorged with serous fluid, which 
forms a sort of cushion or pad, a quarter of an inch thick, over the whole 
abdomen, and quite naked. This, of course, assists in the process of 
incubation, but it, and the dirty yellow of the feather's mixed with dirty 
white feathers, give the bird a disgusting appearance. The summer 
dress of the male, though I have never seen it complete, is of a much 
darker red-brown, and a rather handsome color. I obtained eggs in an 
open tundra, near the Yukon mouth, in the latter part of June, 1868. 
The female defends her nest bravely; one allowed itself to be torn in 
pieces by a dog, rather than desert her eggs. 
They begin to assume the white in September, and in November, 
having become perfectly white, repair to the willow thickets along the 
Yukon and other rivers, as before mentioned. Tiie flesh is dark, dry 
and tasteless ; a long experience in eating it has not left a favorable 
impression. D. 
Common on the island and the adjoining mainland during the greater 
part of the year, but especially abundant in the spring, when they are to be 
found singly or in pairs all over the country. In the iall and winter they 
keep more to the thickets of stunted willows, which are common in the 
interior of the islan<l ; and are generally started in small coveys. From 
their ai)pearing to be less abundant at tliis than at some other seasons of 
the year on the coast, I have been incliued to think that the greater part 
