AMPHIBIOUS AND LAND ANIMALS. 
7i 
that when they sit on the rocks, they appear to be standing; their 
bodies and necks being almost perpendicular. The owls are 
about the size of a duck ; their breasts are white, and the rest oi 
their feathers black. TheToporkas are nearly of the same size,their 
feathers being grey, their beaks red, broad, flat, and prominent; 
their eyes shaded with a row of white feathers, arched like eye¬ 
brows. The skins of these birds are much valued for their 
firmness, and are mostly made into garments for the men. 
Their beaks are used by the women for the decoration of 
their cloaths. There are no birds so difficult to shoot as these, 
from the extreme closeness of their plumage, which repels the 
.shot; besides which, they frequently plunge into the water, and 
when they swim clap their wings as in. flying. Two sorts of 
geese also occasionally visit the island ; the first, which come 
from the southern countries in the middle of April, and reside 
on the lakes during the summer, are of a moderate size, with 
grey plumage, and the head and neck black; in September and 
October they disappear again, and are succeeded by others of a 
similar size, with an ash-coloured plumage speckled with white. 
These latter come hither from the north, live the whole winter 
on the cliffs, that are often under water, and feed on the sea¬ 
weeds that abound in these parts. 
In April, at the commencement of spring, they fly to the 
northern climates, where they probably breed. Yet we saw 
none of them in the country of the Tschukshens, whence I 
should draw the conclusion, that they make the shore of 
North America their summer residence. The amphibious 
tribe of animals are less numerous here, than in tire other 
Aleutian Islands. There were formerly otters in abundance, 
the skins of which were made into vests by the inhabitants; 
but since the stay of the Russians here, the number of these* 
animals has been greatly diminished, and they are now very 
scarce. Sea-bears make their appearance in spring and au¬ 
tumn, but for a short time only, as they withdraw to the north 
in the spring, and to the south in autumn. Sea-lions howevpr, 
frequent the detached rocks both summer and winter, though 
not in great numbers. 
Fish of different kinds are to be found round the island, as 
roach, cod, and another sort call terpuges, much variegated 
with yellow, green, and red spots. The rivers in June, July, 
and August, abound with ketas and the hump-backed sal¬ 
mon. Among the shell-fish are three sorts of crabs, the 
first round and large, with long feet, very similar to those of 
the spider, and on that account called sea-spiders: the second 
m like manner round but smaller, with shorter legs and longer 
pincers; the third sort resembles the small river crabs, ex- 
