9 
out to be a Pallas’s male and a California female — the latter a non-breeder. 
On the return trip the California Murre was seen with certainty only near 
Malcolm island, B.C. 
9 Yakutat bay, Alaska. March 12. Nearly complete summer plumage. 
5 Cordova, Alaska. March 15. As above. 
6 " “ 15. Complete winter plumage. 
6_ " “15. As above. 
8'Atka island, Aleutian island. March 30. Complete summer plumage. 
9 JPetropavlovsk, Kamchatka. July 24 
Uria lomvia arra (Pallas). Pallas’s Murre 
The similarity of this species to the preceding one made it difficult to 
tell where the two overlapped. On the Asiatic side all murres were taken 
to be Pallas’s and on the American side all Californias, yet the latter turned 
up on Petropavlovsk, and it was a certainty that of the thousands seen in 
the vicinity of the Bogoslofs, many were of the other species (Pallas’s) ; this 
last observation being based on the distinction of the bill that may be seen 
at very close quarters, as when many in flight crossed the bow of the ship. 
On April 27 a flight of some two thousand murres was met north of 
cape Shipunski, on the Kamchatkan coast. They appeared at dawn 
heading northward, flying in long strings 20 or 30 feet above the water, 
greatly resembling geese in the distance. The first string contained nearly 
five hundred individuals, but the later flocks were much smaller. This 
was the only flight of birds actually in migration met along this wintry 
and inhospitable shore. Next day, south of Petropavlovsk, one or two 
murres were seen at intervals, and later, on May 5, a small murre congre- 
gation was sighted in the Kurils south of Paramushir island. On the return, 
murres were encountered in small numbers at all stops as far as Unalaska, 
Alaska, but, except at Petropavlovsk, where breeding specimens were 
taken, the identity of the birds could not be exactly determined. No 
murres were seen east of Unalaska. 
In establishing identity the pale blue ridge at the basal edge of the 
upper mandible of the Pallas’s Murre is a good field mark at close quarters. 
This pale ridge rapidly changes colour after death and is lost in some dried 
specimens. Of the specimens taken, both the male and female had the 
bare brood-patch. As indicated previously in the case of the Californias, 
it was established again that murres in twos were not necessarily pairs. 
9 Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka. July 21 
9 “ “ “ 24 
6 « “ “ 24 
6 “ “ " 24 
8 « « « 24 
All in full summer plumage. 
Stercorarius pomariniis (Temminck). Pomarine Jaeger 
The first seen of these large, slow-flying, dark-coloured jaegers were 
two or three individuals observed rather distantly in the southern Kurils, 
May 8. On July 18, south of Petropavlovsk, the skipper reported a “big, 
blackish bos’n-bird” and the same evening one circled the ship low and 
came almost over the rail. Next day one was shot from the ship, but it 
fell far away. 
On July 30, in the inner harbour at Petropavlovsk, at dawn the bay 
seemed alive with small fish breaking the water. Later, twenty-five gulls 
(Slaty-backed, Brown-headed, and Kittiwakes) were counted, all in the 
dense formation usual when they are busily catching small fry. Two 
