23 
these were birds that had left the nesting females and returned to salt 
water to moult, just as they do along the coast waters of British Columbia 
at the same time of year. 
5 Kodiak island, Alaska. March 21. Full adult. 
9 Unalaska, Alaska, March 26 
9 “ “ “ 26 
6 Kyska island, Aleutian island. April 16. Coming out of juvenile (?) plumage. 
> The writer has carefully compared these birds and a few other west-coast males with a small 
series from the east, and fails to substantiate characters postulated by W. S. Brooks for H . h. 
pacificus. The only difference between east-and west-coast birds appears to be that the base of the 
bill of the latter may be very slightly wider. 
Polysticta stelleri (Pallas). Steller’s Eider 
At Toporkov island, just off Nikolski harbour, April 25, a small male 
eider, with little black about the head, was seen in company with two 
females (?) and a Harlequin. On account of its association with the 
Harlequin there was an excellent opportunity to get an estimate of its size, 
and there is little doubt that it was a Steller’s Eider. The birds were about 
150 yards distant. 
Somateria sp.? Eider 
During the entire voyage only one eider was seen at fairly close 
quarters. The journal records for May 1, Kashawabara bay, Paramushir 
island, “The chief note of the afternoon expedition was the meeting at a 
long gunshot of a new duck. It had a bright orange or yellow bill, white 
head and back. Observation at the time was difficult, on account of the 
tide rip — it was windy and very cold.” The bird sat on the choppy sea 
and took no heed of our noisy pow T er launch. If the top of the head was 
black, it was not noted in the excitement of meeting a new duck. At the 
time it was thought to be a Spectacled Eider, but more probably was a 
King. It was not a Pacific. The observation is given with no little 
hesitation and for what it may be worth. 
Somateria v- nigra Gray. Pacific Eider 
The eiders were disappointing birds, seldom seen except at long range. 
On March 26, outside the harbour at Unalaska, ten eiders of doubtful 
species were noted distantly. On April 9, in the waters off Nazan bay, 
Atka island, several flocks were noted. “The eiders here were the most 
numerous duck. A hundred or more were observed in flocks of a dozen 
or fifteen. The white males could be seen at a long distance flashing among 
their brown mates. In flight they seemed slow; they were strung out in 
single file, were weaving up and down, and in the distance generally were 
very like geese.” In Kuluk bay, Adak island, April 10, five were noted on 
the water, doubtless driven in by the rough weather. At Kyska island, April 
15, two more were seen in the bay; but Attu island gave a still better 
opportunity for observation as the birds were seen not only in the bay, 
but ashore sunning on the rocks. On April 20 a dozen were on the water, 
and next day four — two males and two females — were disturbed in their 
midday siesta as they sat upon a big, flat rock at the water’s edge. As 
these birds, and a single male studied at length through the glasses, were 
Pacifies, all the former observations have been given under this same head. 
