Nelson on some Birds of St. Michael's, Alaska. 35 
the southern slope of the island, I was pleased to find some old 
acquaintances in the form of several Summer Warblers ( Dendroeca 
cestiva) and Wilson’s Black-caps (M yiodioctes pusillus ), whose bright 
plumage, glancing from bush to bush, recalled many pleasant days 
in far distant fields. Entering the bushes I encountered the angry 
remonstrances of a colony of Tree Sparrows (Spizella monticola), whose 
sharp tsip, tsip , tsip, arose on all sides. From the midst of the bushes 
started a Fox-colored Sparrow (Passer ella iliaca) ; but just then I 
caught a glimpse' of a beautiful specimen of Sabine’s Gull (. Xema 
sabinei) coasting along the rocks near my kyak, and at a break-neck 
pace I rushed down and embarked — in time to see it disappear in 
the distance. Being under way, I proceeded to the other island, a 
small conical rock of the same structure as the one first visited, which, 
being more isolated, is better populated by Sea Birds. The great 
angular masses of fallen rock about the water’s edge were sur- 
mounted by rows of Horned Puffins sitting side by side, their white 
breasts gleaming in sharp contrast to the dark, rugged backgr-onnd. 
Here and there among them could be distinguished a Tufted Puffin, 
while on the more elevated projections and spurs on the face of the 
island were perched about a dozen Violet-green Cormorants (Gra- 
culus violaceus). The seaward face of the island, inclining gradually 
to the water’s edge, was occupied by a large flock of Larus kotzebuei 
and a number of L. glaucus. As I approached all took flight, the 
Puffins and Gulls circling about until several were shot, when they 
took refuge on the open water to seaward, where they were preceded 
by the Cormorants, which I have invariably found very shy in this 
vicinity. A number of Wandering Tattlers were feeding uncon- 
cernedly along the half-submerged stones, but as I drew nearer 
flitted gracefully from stone to stone, choosing successively higher 
positions, now and then pausing to look suspiciously back, until the 
first gained the upper point of the ledge, when, after a moment’s 
pause, it uttered the usual loud ringing Ida kla kla ", and darted 
around the island followed by all the others. Taking positions 
along the rocks near the water, they stood like statuettes until the 
merciless gun broke the spell, when amid a chorus of cries a general 
but straggling flight to safer hunting-grounds ensued. At the same 
time a small party of Bed-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator) 
arose from under the lee of the island and made directly for the 
lakes inland. 
The wind freshening, I turned back, and, passing around the point 
