diff options
Diffstat (limited to '34337-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 34337-8.txt | 3771 |
1 files changed, 3771 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/34337-8.txt b/34337-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0db2566 --- /dev/null +++ b/34337-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3771 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern +Alaska, by James W. Bee + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of Northern Alaska + +Author: James W. Bee + +Release Date: November 16, 2010 [EBook #34337] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIRDS FOUND ON THE ARCTIC SLOPE *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Tom Cosmas, Joseph Cooper and +the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + ================================================================== + University of Kansas Publications + Museum of Natural History + + Volume 10, No. 5, pp. 163-211, pls. 9-10, 1 fig. in text + ---------------------- March 12, 1958 ---------------------- + + + Birds Found on the Arctic Slope + of Northern Alaska + + + BY + JAMES W. BEE + + + University of Kansas + Lawrence + 1958 + + + + + University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History + + Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Henry S. Fitch, + Robert W. Wilson + + Volume 10, No. 5, pp. 163-211, plates 9-10, 1 fig. in text + Published March 12, 1958 + + University of Kansas + Lawrence, Kansas + + PRINTED IN + THE STATE PRINTING PLANT + TOPEKA, KANSAS + 1958 + [Illustration: union label] + 27-1766 + + + + + Birds Found on the Arctic Slope + of Northern Alaska + + BY + JAMES W. BEE + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +In the summers of 1951 and 1952 some data on birds were gathered +incidental to a study of the mammals of the Arctic Slope of northern +Alaska (see Bee and Hall--Mammals of Northern Alaska ..., Univ. Kansas +Mus. Nat. Hist., Miscl. Publ., 8, March 10, 1956). Other students, +currently preparing comprehensive accounts of the birds of northern +Alaska, have urged that the information obtained in 1951 and 1952 be +made available. For that reason, and because relatively little is on +record concerning birds of the area visited, I have prepared the +following account. The aim is to include only non-published data +because the comprehensive accounts alluded to above, by others, can +more appropriately include data from previously published accounts. + +The area is the treeless tundra delimited by the crest of the Brooks +Range to the south, the international boundary to the east and the +Arctic Ocean to the north and west. + +Three hundred and fifty-one birds of 44 species (Nos. 30371-30866, and +31301-31355) were collected. Twenty-nine additional species were seen. +All specimens are skeletons, unless otherwise noted in the text, and +are catalogued and housed at the Museum of Natural History, University +of Kansas. Photographs are by the author. + +The report results from a contract (Nonr-38700) between the Office of +Naval Research and the Museum of Natural History of the University of +Kansas. Field headquarters were at the Arctic Research Laboratory at +Point Barrow, Alaska. Professor John Fields and Dr. Louis O. Quam of +the Office of Naval Research, Professor Ira L. Wiggins, Scientific +Director of the Arctic Research Laboratory, and Mr. M. R. Lipman of +the University of Kansas Regional Office of the Office of Naval +Research are four of the persons to whom I am deeply indebted. J. Knox +Jones, Jr., and Edward G. Campbell, students at the University of +Kansas, participated in the field work and deserve credit for a large +part of the accomplishment registered in the field. + +The author is greatly indebted to Professor E. Raymond Hall for +assistance at many stages in the work. I am grateful to Professor +Harrison B. Tordoff for numerous suggestions and for verifying the +identifications of the specimens. The skeletons were identified by +measurement and comparison of feet, bills, and the dried, flat skins +that had been removed and labeled with the field numbers of the +corresponding skeletons. Where subspecific identification was +difficult because of the fashion in which the material was preserved +it should be understood that the subspecific name assigned was based +largely or entirely on geographic probability. This is wholly true for +sight records. Robert G. Bee read the manuscript in its entirety and +offered editorial comments and my wife, Annette, typed the manuscript +and made numerous corrections. The names of several other individuals +who rendered assistance appear at appropriate places in the following +pages. + + + + +ITINERARY + + +Camps and collecting localities on the Arctic Slope of northern Alaska +in 1951 and 1952 (Bee and Jones, July 3-September 6, 1951; Bee, +September 6-11, 1951; Bee and Campbell, June 14-August 25, 1952; Bee, +Campbell, and Hall, August 26-September 12, 1952) were as shown in +Fig. 1. + +Camps, and localities in the vicinity of each camp, are arranged +geographically from north to south. The localities listed below under +camps are only those which one or more of us (Bee, Campbell, Jones and +Hall) visited. Travel between camps was by airplane; heavy black +lines show routes followed. + +Point Barrow (1951: July 3-5, 10-12, 18-20, 27-29, Aug. 5-7, 28-30, +Sept. 4-11. 1952: June 14-24, Aug. 23-27, Aug. 31-Sept. 12). +Longitudes and latitudes taken from U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey +map No. 9445, 2nd edition, Point Barrow and vicinity, corrected May +21, 1951. + + Point Barrow, 156°27'25", 71°23'11", 3 ft. (June 20, 21, Aug. 25, + 1952). + + Point Barrow, 156°30'00", 71°22'10", 0 ft. (Sept. 11, 1952). + + 4½ mi. SW Point Barrow, 5 ft. (Sept. 7, 8, 1951), but in the second + year (June 14, 16, 1952) specimens from this same place were + inadvertently labeled at "Birnirk Mounds, 156°36'02", 71°20'40", 8 + ft.". + + NW Elson Lagoon, 156°35'45", 71°20'27", 0 ft. (Sept. 2, 1952). + + Point Barrow, 156°40'40", 71°19'30", 8 ft. (Sept. 9, 1952). + + Point Barrow, 156°35'45", 71°19'30", 8 ft. (Sept. 9, 1952). + + Point Barrow, 156°39'40", 71°19'03", 6 ft. (Sept. 3, 4, 7, 8, + 1952). + + West side Salt Water Lake [Lagoon], 156°42'00", 71°18'41", 4 ft. + (June 18, 19, 1952). + + 1/10 mi. W Salt Water Lake [Lagoon], 156°42'02", 71°18'26", 10 ft. + (June 16-19, 1952). + + 9/10 mi. E and 8/10 mi. N Barrow Village, 156°44'15", 71°18'20", 8 + ft. (June 22, 23, 1952). + + 1-4/10 mi. S and 6/10 mi. E Barrow Village, 156°45'25", 71°16'20", + 20 ft. (June 20, 1952). + + 7½ mi. S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 156°49', 71° 17' (September 6, + 1952). + + +Teshekpuk Lake (1951: July 29-Aug. 4). Shown on a map, titled "Trails +and Caches 1951 Season, Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, ... traced and +reproduced from U. S. Geological Survey Maps, March 1945, compiled +from AAF Trimetrogon photography for Aeronautical Chart Service." + + NE Teshekpuk Lake, 153°05'40", 70°39'40", 12 ft. + + +Topagaruk (1951: July 5-10). Named on map "Trails and Caches 1951 ..." +cited immediately above, but is actually seven miles due south of name +shown on that map. Correct position is 155°55', 70°34', 10 feet; but +specimens are incorrectly labeled 155°48'.... + + +Kaolak River (1951: July 12-18). River shown on map cited above under +Teshekpuk Lake. + + [Actual camp on] Kaolak River, 159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft. + + +Kaolak (1951: July 20-27). Longitude and latitude computed from map cited +above under Teshekpuk Lake. + + Kaolak, 160°14'51", 69°56'00", 178 ft. + + +Gavia Lake (Aug. 19-23, 1952). Longitude and latitude computed from +World Aeronautical Chart (63) Brooks Range, U. S. Coast and Geodetic +Survey, 5th ed., February 2, 1949. + + Gavia Lake, N White Hills, 150°00', 69°35', 460 ft. + + +Umiat (1951: Aug. 30-Sept. 4. 1952: June 24-July 3, 18-23, Aug. 16-19, +23, Sept. 12). Longitude and latitude taken from U. S. Geological +Survey Topographic Map. + + Bearpaw Creek, 1-7/10 mi. E and 1-7/10 mi. N Umiat, 152°04'50", + 69°23'30", 550 ft. (June 28, 1952). + + 1-3/10 mi. E and 1-3/10 mi. N Umiat, 152°05'30", 69°23'12", 350 ft. + (June 26, 27, 1952). + + 9/10 mi. W and 9/10 mi. N Umiat, 152°10'58", 69°22'53", 380 ft. + (June 29, 30, July 1, 1952). + + 1½ mi. W and ¾ mi. N Umiat, 152°08'10", 69°22'18", 370 ft. (Aug. + 30, Sept. 4, 1951). + + Umiat, 152°08', 69°22', 337 ft. (Aug. 19, 1952). + + Umiat, 152°09'30", 69°22'08", 352 ft. (June 24, 26, July 21, 22, + 1952). + + As shown on fig. 1 a reconnaissance flight was made from Umiat to + Sadlerochit River and return (July 22, 1952). + + +Lake Schrader-Lake Peters (July 23-Aug. 16, 1952). Longitudes and +latitudes taken from map entitled "Preliminary Copy," U. S. Petroleum +Reserve No. 4, U. S. Geological Survey, March 1948, scale 1-6900. + + Spawning Creek, W side Lake Schrader, 145°11'40", 69°25'08", 2908 + ft. + + SW Lake Schrader, 145°11'30", 69°24'32", 2925 ft. (July 27, 28, + 1952). + + Lake Schrader, 145°09'50", 69°24'28", 2900 ft. (July 23, 24-30, + 1952). + + East side Lake Schrader--Lake Peters Channel, 145°09'30", + 69°24'15", 2905 ft. (July 29, 30, 1952). + + + [Illustration: Fig. 1. Routes of travel and base camps of field + party in 1951 and 1952. + + 1. Point Barrow 8. Umiat + 2. Teshekpuk Lake 9. Lake Schrader-Lake Peters + 3. Topagaruk 10. Wahoo Lake + 4. Kaolak River 11. Driftwood + 5. Kaolak 12. Porcupine Lake + 6. Reconnaissance flight 13. Chandler Lake + 7. Gavia Lake + ] + + + Mouth Chamberlin Canyon, S end Lake Peters, 145°08'34", 69°20'58", + 3690 ft. (Aug. 4, 5, 1952). + + SE end Lake Peters, 145°09'26", 69°20'56", 2950 ft., Romanzof + Mountains (Aug. 1-9, 14, 1952). + + Mount Mary, S end Lake Peters, 145°10'05", 69°20'35", 3012 ft. (The + mountain between Carnivore River on the east, Whistler Creek on the + west, mouth of Whistler Creek on the north, and the crest of the + Brooks Range on the south.) (Aug. 13-16, 1952.) + + Mount Mary, S end Lake Peters, 145°10'02", 69°20'30", 2920 ft. + (July 30-Aug. 11, 1952). + + S end Lake Peters, 145°09'50", 69°20'15", 2906 ft. (Aug. 15, 1952). + + Weasel Point, S end Lake Peters, 145°09'30", 69°20'15", 2920 ft. + (Aug. 9-11, 1952). + + Carnivore Lakes (Carnivore is the name of the three lakes at + elevations of 3260, 3385 and 3400 ft. between 69°18' and 69°17' on + Carnivore River, which flows from James Robert Lake to Lake + Peters). (Aug. 8, 1952.) + + James Robert Glacier, 145°09', 69°16', approximately 3700 ft. (Aug. + 8, 1952). + + +Wahoo Lake (July 3-11, 1952). Longitude and latitude taken from map +entitled "Preliminary Copy," Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, U. S. +Geological Survey (of same series as map used at Porcupine Lake, see +below). + + Wahoo Lake, 146°58', 69°08', 2350 ft. + + +Driftwood (Aug. 27-31, 1952). Longitude and latitude computed from map +cited above under Teshekpuk Lake. + + 2 mi. W Utukok River, 161°15'30", 68°54'50", 1275 ft. (Aug. 30, + 1952). + + Driftwood, Utukok River, 161°12'10", 68°53'47", 1200 ft. (Aug. + 27-31, 1952). + + +Porcupine Lake (July 11-18, 1952). Longitude and latitude computed +from map titled "Preliminary Copy," Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, +compiled by U. S. Geological Survey, May, 1949, Alaska, K6, scale +1:4800. + + Porcupine Lake, 146°29'50", 68°51'57", 3140 ft. (July 12-16, 18, + 1952). + + Mount Annette, 146°28'51", 68°50'38", approximately 5700 ft. (Mount + Annette is in the Annette Range south of Porcupine Lake between the + Canning River and the Ivashak River.) (July 17, 1952.) + + +Chandler Lake (Aug. 9-25, 1951). Longitude and latitude taken from +World Aeronautical Chart (63) Brooks Range, U. S. Coast and Geodetic +Survey, 5th ed., February 2, 1949. + + Chandler Lake, 152°45', 68°12', 2900 ft. + + + + +ACCOUNTS OF SPECIES + + ++Gavia adamsii+ (Gray): Yellow-billed loon.--Specimens, 3: Kaolak +(Kuk) River, 159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., No. 30571, ad. female, +July 18, 1951; Wahoo Lake, 146°58', 69°08', 2350 ft. (a breeding +pair), No. 31301, ad. male and No. 31302, ad. female, July 9, 1952. + +Upon our arrival at Wahoo Lake (July 3, 1952), two yellow-billed loons +were swimming, side by side, on the east end of the lake. On July 8, +the pair were seen swimming close together 400 feet distant from the +nest. It was located on July 4 and held two fresh eggs. Three days +later at 3:00 A.M. one of the pair called directly in front of our +camp, which was approximately 4000 feet from the nest at the other end +of the lake. The call was the first uttered in the area since our +arrival. Except for the two instances noted above, only a single loon +was seen at any one time almost certainly because the other was +sitting on the eggs. At 3:00 P.M. on July 9, by means of a boat, we +visited the nesting area; the male was incubating and the female was +absent from the area. As we approached to within 30 feet of the nest, +the male, conspicuous as it sat upon the nest with neck held low and +extended, became nervous. When we were 25 feet away the bird plunged +into the lake. His feet and wings beat the water, increasing his +speed; he flew to our right approximately 30 feet from the nest and +was shot. The nest and eggs were photographed and we left the area. At +5:30 P.M., the female was swimming on the lake in the general area of +the nest. In an effort to obtain the bird we pursued her down the +middle of the lake, approximately 1000 feet from her nest and in the +direction from which we came. Turning shoreward she dived and +resurfaced approximately 300 feet in the opposite direction from which +she was being pursued. Two additional dives brought her to the +vicinity of the nest. No cry was uttered by either of the birds during +our pursuit. + +Although the female had been incubating two nearly fresh eggs, her +ovary, 35 mm long and 19 mm in diameter, contained ova of various +sizes up to six mm in diameter. The female measured 850 mm in total +length and weighed 4536 grams; the male was 900 mm in total length and +weighed 6804 grams. + +The nest, approximately 60 cm in diameter, of sedges, grasses and an +assortment of plant debris, was on a mound of soil 23 cm above, and 40 +cm from, the open water. The cup of the nest measured 37 mm in depth. +The site of the nest (southeast corner of the lake) was near the area +supporting the most lake trout (_Cristivomer namaycush_). Between open +water of the lake and the shore, 20 feet of sedges and grasses +deterred wolves (_Canis lupus_), red foxes (_Vulpes fulva_), and +caribou (_Rangifer arcticus_) from molesting the nest; tracks of these +mammals were numerous on contiguous shore areas. + +The early run-off entering the lake created a variable water level +(the overflow decreased 60 per cent in the period July 2 to July 11). +The loons lay their eggs when the lake's level is fairly well +stabilized. The cotton-grass (_Eriophorum_) at the latter date was +developing white flowers and the sedges, growing in dense stands, were +showing springtime green. + +The force with which the excrement of the loon is expelled while +standing on land, accounts for long white lines upwards of one meter +in length. These lines of dried excrement, reaching as far as one and +one-tenth meters landward, were noted at several places along the +shore. + +At Topagaruk on July 9, 1951, a single yellow-billed loon was +observed. At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951) the yellow-billed loon +was occasionally heard at night and, at times in the day. On July 18, +an Eskimo, Atanak, accompanied by two companions from Wainwright, shot +two loons of this species approximately two miles down the Kaolak +River from our camp. They had planned to prepare the birds for their +evening meal. With the exception of twelve pebbles averaging 3.5 mm in +diameter in the one, the stomachs of the loons were empty. The female +was given to us by the Eskimos. It measured 870 mm in total length, +1600 mm in wing spread, and 5897 grams in weight. The ovaries +contained many ova, the largest eight mm in diameter. Many of the +individual ova were black. + +At Porcupine Lake a yellow-billed loon was seen every day (July 13-18, +1952) but was not heard until 8:00 P.M. on July 17; its call was the +first since our arrival on July 13. Thereafter its long drawn-out wail +or raucous, hilarious call was uttered at intervals in the evening and +well toward midnight. + +A yellow-billed loon was on the south end of Lake Peters on August 4, +1952. At 9:00 A.M. it caught a small fish at the mouth of Carnivore +River. The loon flew north approximately five miles to Lake Schrader +where it was known to have young. + +Of the three species of loons observed on the Arctic Slope, the +yellow-billed loon is the least numerous. Owing to its large size this +loon is more often taken than either of the others. Eskimos consider +its dark, fine grained flesh a delicacy. On the more isolated areas of +the Arctic Slope the yellow-billed loon remains common; elsewhere it +needs protection. + +Additional specimens, especially from the contact zone between the +areas of geographical distribution of _Gavia immer_ and _Gavia +adamsii_, are needed in order to decide on the subspecific _versus_ +specific status of these two kinds of loons. + + ++Gavia arctica pacifica+ (Lawrence): Arctic loon.--Specimens, 2: +Barrier Lake, NE Teshekpuk Lake, 153°05'40", 70°39'40", 8 ft., No. +30570, ad. female, July 29, 1951; Topagaruk River, 155°48', 70°34', 10 +ft., No. 30572, ad. female, July 7, 1951. + +On July 3, 1952, between Umiat and Ivashak River, pairs of Arctic +loons were on only small and medium sized lakes; on this date they +mostly were free of ice whereas large lakes were ice covered and thus +unavailable to this species of loon. The use of small and medium sized +lakes by this loon may result from the described unavailability of +large lakes at nesting time. The tundra, at this time, when nesting +has begun, is free of snow except for cornices and deposits in deep +gullies. Willows and alders at Umiat on July 3 were without foliage, +whereas these plants farther east were in leaf. On July 4, 1951, at +two-tenths of a mile south of the Arctic Research Laboratory, a single +bird flew over the tundra and onto the Arctic Ocean beyond. It called +regularly as it passed overhead. At Topagaruk (July 5, 1951) the pairs +of Arctic loons were nesting on the vegetated edges of lakes of medium +size. This species of loon constituted less than one per cent of the +avian population of the area. A nest of this loon on a promontory +between two lakes and within 30 centimeters of deep water was damp, +shallow, slightly depressed and held eggs exposed to view. On July 7, +the female was killed as she left the nest. The wind blowing offshore +drifted her toward the center of the lake. Later, as she reached a +point near the opposite side, the male alighted near the dead female +and indulged in its courtship display of raising and lowering its head +and neck. Swimming around the mate several times he continued to +solicit attention from the lifeless form. An hour later we examined +the off-shore and found the dead female among the sedges. By this time +the male had abandoned its mate and was observed feeding in an +adjacent lake. Arctic loons on several adjacent lakes could be heard. +The male that had been deprived of its mate, did not respond. + +The female weighed 1200 grams. The largest ovum was eight mm in +diameter; others were smaller and the smallest were in clusters. On +leaving the nest we placed mosses and grasses over it to protect the +single egg from the parasitic jaegers. We wished to learn whether the +male returned and incubated the egg. On our approach on July 8 he was +on the nest but left and swam approximately 200 feet under water +before surfacing. On the afternoon of the same day the single egg was +cold and unattended. The male was swimming on a nearby lake some 300 +yards distant. Two pairs of the Arctic loon were observed swimming on +adjacent lakes. On July 9, the male was again incubating the egg. + +The Arctic loon calls frequently when flying overhead. The Eskimos +were adept at imitating the loon's call and were successful in having +the birds respond. + +At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951), pairs of the Arctic loon used the +course of the stream as a flight lane. + +On an airflight from east to west between the mouth of the Canning +River Canyon and Umiat (July 18, 1952) I noted an increase in the +numbers of this loon, especially over the lakes near the Colville +River. + +Seven pairs and two singles of this species were observed between the +mouth of the Avalik River and a point 23.3 miles from the Arctic Ocean +when I flew directly from Kaolak to Point Barrow. In the above +33 miles of coastal plain, the greatest interval between loons was +9.7 miles, the shortest 1.9 miles, the average 5.9 miles. The last +23.3 miles before reaching the Arctic Ocean, produced no records of +the loon. On a lake near the Arctic Ocean, 3.8 miles southwest from +Barrow Village, a single pair was observed. + +Upon our arrival at Barrier Lake, northeast of Teshekpuk Lake (July +29, 1951), there were two adult and two young Arctic loons at the +south end of the lake at a point approximately 300 feet from where we +camped. During our stay at the lake, the loons nearly all of the time +remained on approximately 1½ acres of water in spite of being +disturbed and having their territory periodically invaded by us. +Adjacent to the area of the lake used by this family of loons were +three small lakes connected by wide channels to Barrier Lake. Other +small lakes to the east were connected by smaller channels. The loons +preferred to feed in the lakes having larger connecting channels. + +In the evening of the first day of observation, the female together +with her two young was on land. The male was swimming approximately +200 feet out on the lake. The female was shot as she was flushed from +the bank. The largest ovum was four mm in diameter. On the morning of +the second day (15 hours after the female was shot) the male was +observed tending the young; one young was by his side and the other +had wandered to a point 40 feet away. A parasitic jaeger came and +hovered above the straying young loon and then dived vertically to +seize it. The male loon was too far away to reach its young before the +jaeger departed. As the jaeger was leaving the area, three other +parasitic jaegers pursued the first in an attempt to wrest from its +beak the young loon. The contest for possession of the young loon +continued as far as the eye could follow the contestants. + +On August 2, at 3:35 P.M. the surviving members of this loon +family--the male and the one young--rested on the water of the lake, +approximately 200 feet from shore. The adult dozed with its head +tucked under its wing--head end oriented into the wind except for +occasional complete turns. These were made without visible change of +posture. The young one alternated by swimming around its parent and +resting at which time it tucked its head under its wing. Toward +evening, the male was shot. A survey of the area the following morning +disclosed the absence of the young loon, not to be seen again during +our stay. It was noted that during our sojourn of seven days, when the +male was left with the orphaned young, the parent would fly to +Teshekpuk Lake some 1½ miles to the south to procure food. The young +loon when left alone would dive under water when approached. + +On August 4, a pomarine jaeger pursued the male loon as it was +returning from fishing on Teshekpuk Lake. When the birds first were +seen, the jaeger was approximately 200 feet behind the loon, but in a +distance of approximately 300 feet the jaeger overtook the loon which +had reached the shore of Barrier Lake. When the jaeger was ready to +strike in order to make the loon drop the fish it was carrying, the +loon dropped over the erosional cliff and splashed into the water. +After 30 seconds of hovering over the submerged loon, which remained +under water for one minute, the jaeger departed to the west. The loon +came to the surface holding the fish tightly crosswise in its beak. + +Numerous calls of the Arctic loon were heard on the Barrier Lake area. +When a person enters the territory of a family of loons, the male +makes a sound similar to a courting tomcat. The female responds with a +like sound and in addition concludes her call with a high pitched +note. When mildly disturbed, low guttural notes are uttered by both +sexes, and are continued as a person penetrates farther into the +territory of the loons, especially when young are present. In addition +to the above-mentioned calls, loons have a ravenlike call, one +resembling the cackling of a domestic fowl, and another resembling the +bleating of a lamb. + +The male concerns himself less than does the female with the safety of +the family; nevertheless, attempts were noted in which the male +endeavored to decoy the intruder and allow the female and young to +retreat from the area. The loons react to caribou, if these animals +approach too closely to the shore line adjacent to the territory of +the loons. + +On July 30, 1951, pairs of loons were flying over the tundra between +Barrier Lake and Teshekpuk Lake. + +On an airflight from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow (Aug. 4, 1951) I +saw Arctic loons as follows: 63 miles from Point Barrow, one; 25 miles +from Point Barrow, two; 10 miles from Point Barrow, four. + +At Chandler Lake (Aug. 12, 1951), a single Arctic loon was frequently +heard at the southeast end near the mouth of the Chandler River. In +the evening of August 13, the wind changed from the normal southern +wind to a cold wind from the north. Thereafter no Arctic loon was +detected at the mouth of the river until August 22 when a bird there +called at three intervals in the day. Presumably the change in +direction of wind caused the fish and the loon to leave the south end +of the lake. Arctic loons in other parts of the lake were heard every +day from August 8 to August 25 inclusive. + +On August 19, 1952, when we flew from Umiat to Gavia Lake, the loons +seemed to be more restless and more easily disturbed than on our +earlier flights. Wariness probably increases as the season advances. + +On August 20, 1952, through August 23, 1952, six pairs of Arctic loons +and 10 old squaw ducks were on Gavia Lake (named after the Arctic +loon, genus _Gavia_). These were the only large birds on the lake on +these dates. The loons dove as they sensed danger, emitting, before +the dive, a single doglike yelp. + +On September 2, 1952, at ½ mile northeast of Barrow Village, we passed +an Arctic loon on the beach six feet from the waters of the Arctic +Ocean. On the return trip, two hours later, the loon was again seen in +the same area, now preening its feathers. As we approached it walked +to the water and began to swim through the breakers of the ocean. Snow +was falling, telling of the approach of the migratory season for this +species. + + ++Gavia stellata+ (Pontoppidan): Red-throated loon.--Specimens, 4: NE +Teshekpuk Lake, 153°05'40", 70°39'40", 8 ft., No. 30576, ad. male and +No. 30577, ad. female, July 29, 1951; Kaolak River, 159°47'40", +70°11'15", 30 ft., No. 30574, ad. male, July 18, 1951 and No. 30575, +ad. female, July 14, 1951. + +At the west side of Salt Water Lagoon (June 17,1952) we observed a +single red-throated loon feeding in the lake. At Point Barrow (June +21, 1952) 15 birds in one loose flock flew east along the shore of the +Arctic Ocean. + +At Kaolak River (July 13, 1951) three pairs of red-throated loons +nested among high sedges along the edges of small lakes (some as small +as 100 × 40 feet). Of the three species of loons on the Arctic Slope, +this one chooses the smallest bodies of water for nesting. Each of two +nests held two eggs approximately ½ incubated. One nest and that of an +Arctic tern were approximately 30 feet apart on an island in the +center of the lake. The loons arrived and departed from the lake +without molestation by the terns, but whenever we approached the lake +a tern would fly 300 feet out on the lake to meet us. On July 14, the +female loon was shot. The largest ovum was 8 mm in diameter. On July +16, we again visited the above mentioned nest. The male was incubating +and left unnoticed. While we were inspecting the nest the loon +reappeared only six feet away and uttered one guttural note seemingly +of surprise. The loon hurriedly swam away keeping its head turned +toward us and when at a distance of 25 feet, dove again. Fifteen +minutes after we left the nest the bird could still be seen swimming +about in the lake. On July 18 the male was shot. It weighed 2268 grams +and its testes were 10 mm long. The eggs, measuring 73 × 42 and 69 × +43 mm, of this pair of loons held embryos having natal down. Although +the loon usually approached the nest from the direction of open water, +several trails led to the nest among sedges. One call by these birds +resembled that of a wolf and was generally given between 11:00 P.M. +and 2:00 A.M. Other calls were froglike, humanlike and birdlike in +quality. + +On a small lake between Barrier Lake and Teshekpuk Lake (July 29, +1951) a male and female attracted our attention by uttering guttural +notes and occasionally a sound resembling the meowing of a cat. This +lake was approximately 200 feet long and 40 feet wide and was bordered +by exceptionally high sedges. Several points of sedges projected into +the lake from its edge. When the loons were approached they dove +under water with a splash suggesting the sound made by a beaver as it +strikes its tail against the water before submerging. A loud +high-pitched shrieklike call was given just before diving. They +remained under water for about 20 seconds, came to the surface, and +repeated the behavior. These birds were capable of leaving the lake +but remained in close proximity to their young that were hiding in the +grasses and sedges along the side of the lake. Both adult birds were +collected. A broken egg was on one of the points of vegetation that +projected into the lake. This lake was approximately 600 feet from +feeding grounds at Teshekpuk Lake where small fish three-fourths of an +inch in length were numerous (30 per square foot) along the edge of +the lake. Other red-throated loons were noted on July 29 through +August 4. + +At Chandler Lake (Aug. 15, 1951), two red-throated loons frequently +fed in a small meandering creek at the south end of the lake. + + ++Olor columbianus+ (Ord): Whistling swan.--On July 16, 1951, a boat +with three Eskimos neared a point of land approximately 1/3 mile north +of our camp on the Kaolak (Kuk) River. At 200 feet from the point, two +adult whistling swans and three cygnets left the edge of the river. +The female pretended to have a crippled wing and flapped upstream on +the surface of the water for 100 feet and then continued at normal +cruising speed. The male left the area but returned in a few minutes +and joined the female as she endeavored to lure the hunters up the +river. The Eskimos inspected the shore where the swans had been +resting and then returned to their boat and continued up the river in +the wake of the female swan which was then 200 yards upstream. As the +boat approached the female, she fluttered out of their way and the +boat passed at approximately 30 feet. The Eskimos did not attempt to +shoot at the male, the female, or the three cygnets. The following day +we inspected the area from which the swans had been flushed. Four +molted primary feathers of the adults were found. Twenty feet from the +edge of the river was an old nest which had been occupied the previous +year. This nest was in willows and grasses one foot high. At our camp +(July 12), numerous foot prints measuring 160 mm in length and 142 mm +in width of the swan were noted on the north side of a sand bar in the +river. + +Atanak and his companions from Wainwright told us that other whistling +swans were observed (July 16-17, 1951) from our camp on the Kaolak +River to a point seven miles up the Kaolak River from the junction of +the Avalik and Ketik rivers. In the previous month (June), these same +Eskimos had observed 12 pairs of swans between Wainwright and our +camp. + + ++Branta canadensis minima+ Ridgway: Canada goose.--On July 8 and 9, +1951, four geese fed on a large lake at Topagaruk and when disturbed,\ +flew from the lake in groups of two or four, never as single +individuals. Upon returning to the lake they reformed in a group of +four. Drilling for oil was underway there but geese, ducks and smaller +water birds 300 or more feet away from the well were relatively +unmolested and present in normal numbers. Men at the well told us that +birds were not so plentiful in 1951 as in the previous year and that +it was the latter part of May, this year being earlier than last year, +when waterfowl and shore-birds arrived on the tundra. In late May 50 +per cent or more of the ground is covered with snow and the lakes are +frozen. Creeks and rivers are used until lakes open up. This is a time +of loud clamor and nuptial performances when geese and brant call all +night. The noise and much of the activity ceases at nesting time. In +the cool weather of autumn (September 1), lakes freeze and the birds +leave the tundra and congregate along the shores of the Arctic Ocean +preparatory to flock formation and migration. Geese and ducks tarry +but the shore-birds leave suddenly. The fall migrations at Point +Barrow begin in the middle of August. + + ++Branta nigricans+ (Lawrence): Black brant.--On June 19, 1951, two +black brant flew east over the tundra at Salt Water Lagoon and +continued in that direction as far as we could follow the birds with +binoculars. On August 25, 1952, between Birnirk and Point Barrow, we +flushed a flock of 60 brant seven times; they were loathe to leave the +peninsula. On the following day, 58 brant were seen in the same area. + + ++Anser albifrons frontalis+ Baird: White-fronted goose.--Specimen, +1: 9/10 mi. W and 9/10 mi. N Umiat, 152°10'58", 69°22'53", 380 ft., +No. 31303, ad. female, July 1, 1952. + +As late as June 24, 1952, white-fronted geese were in flock formation +at Umiat. Eight days later (July 1), 9/10 mile west and 9/10 mile +north of Umiat, a nest held six incubated eggs; the embyros showed +natal down. The nest was in a depression of moss (not excavated) on a +mound 45 cm above water level among polygons. The concavity of the +nest was 320 mm in diameter and was lined with an 80 mm thickness of +sticks, pieces of moss, stems of grass and miscellaneous material. The +cup, 160 mm wide and 80 mm deep, was lined with down feathers from the +bird. The nest and brooding bird blended with the vegetation of +_Vaccinium_, _Arctagrostis_, mosses and lichens. When the observer was +25 feet distant the female left the nest. She measured 685 mm in total +length and weighed 2268 grams. The largest ovum was three mm in +diameter. + +On August 30 and 31, 1951, 16 white-fronted geese were feeding on the +tundra along Seabee Creek. They called frequently at night. + +When we flew from Point Barrow to Kaolak (July 20, 1951), +approximately 100 miles southwest of Point Barrow, 12 white-fronted +geese were in one group, and on a return trip (July 27) along the same +route we noted several small groups. + +Upon our arrival at Barrier Lake, northwest of Teshekpuk Lake on July +29, 1951, 12 white-fronted geese were resting at the south end of the +lake. They had consistently used this shore, as well as the entire +east shore line as evidenced there by fecal deposits. In the seven +days that we camped at this lake the geese remained in the area but +never returned to their original resting grounds. In the mud and silt +of a lagoon on the west side of the lake, numerous tracks of these +geese were associated with tracks of caribou, Arctic fox, wolf and +small shore-birds. On August 1, thirty-five white-fronted geese left +the north end of the lake and flew west approximately one mile where +they remained feeding and calling until midnight. On the morning of +August 3, two geese flew south over our camp to Teshekpuk Lake and at +8:45 P.M., 15 flew to the west. + + ++Chen hyperborea hyperborea+ (Pallas): Snow goose.--Atanak, an +Eskimo, told us that snow geese were common along the coast at +Wainwright in the early spring of 1951. On the date of interrogation +(July 18, 1951) he reported that none was in the area. + + ++Anas acuta+ Linnaeus: Pintail.--Specimens, 2: 2 mi. W Utukok River, +161°15'30", 68°54'50", 1275 ft., No. 31304 and 31305, ad. females, +Aug. 30, 31, 1952. + +At Kaolak River (July 15, 1951), the primary feathers of a female in +breeding plumage were being replaced by new feathers then 25 +millimeters long. She was unable to fly and had secluded herself in +the sedges and grasses along the edge of a lake. On July 18, a male +flew over this lake. These were the only two pintails observed in this +area. + +At Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951), within one mile of our camp there were +four females with young in groups of 4, 5, and 6. The young birds of +the group of five were 75 mm in length. On June 17, 1952, several +pintails were feeding in the Salt Water Lagoon at Point Barrow. + +The largest of two adult females collected on August 30 and 31, 1952, +two miles west of Driftwood, was 536 mm in total length and weighed +729 grams. + +On August 25, 1951, three pintails fed in a small creek at the +southwest corner of Chandler Lake. They were the first observed in the +area where we began camping on August 9. + + ++Anas carolinensis+ Gmelin: Green-winged teal.--On September 4, +1951, one green-winged teal was on a small lake approximately 1¼ miles +northwest of Umiat. + + ++Aythya marila nearctica+ Stejneger: Greater scaup.--On July 8, +1952, approximately ½ mile southwest of the east end of Wahoo Lake, a +nest of seven eggs of this species was located on the edge of a small +lake. Three males swam together in the lake. + + ++Clangula hyemalis+ (Linnaeus): Old squaw.--Specimens, 5; Barrier +Lake, NE Teshekpuk Lake, 153°05'40", 70°39'40", 8 ft., No. 35080, ad. +female and 30581, ad. female, July 30, 1951; Topagaruk River, 155°48', +70°34', 10 ft., No. 30582, ad. female, July 7, 1951; Kaolak River, +159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., No. 50579, ad. female, July 14, 1951 +and No. 50578, ad. sex?, July 15, 1951. + +Two old squaws were feeding in Salt Water Lagoon on June 17, 1952. On +June 30, 1952, a nest of seven eggs was 20 feet from the edge of a +lake at Umiat. One of the eggs was infertile and in the others embryos +had barely begun to form. The nest was unattended but the eggs were +warm and covered with down feathers. The next day the male was in the +lake adjoining the nest and the female was on the nest; we collected +the eggs on this date. The nest was in a natural depression in the +moss on top of a hummock one foot high. A dwarf alder gave overhead +protection. + +Each night, at approximately 10:00 P.M. (July 3-11, 1952) a male lit +in Wahoo Lake and preened, ruffled and adjusted its feathers. This +behavior indicated to us that he had just been relieved from +incubating eggs. Old squaws were noted also on a small lake +approximately ½ mile southeast of Wahoo Lake on July 8. + +Most of the old squaws (July 4-10, 1951) were in pairs or small groups +at Topagaruk. They constituted less than one per cent of the avian +population and were more commonly seen around the edges of stabilized +lakes of medium size than elsewhere. One adult female shot on July 7, +weighed 600 grams and had ova as large as 17 millimeters in diameter. + +On July 8, 1952, between 1:00 A.M. and 2:00 A.M., the ice started to +move and formed leads near the shore of the Arctic Ocean at Point +Barrow. Ordinarily the ice does not leave until approximately the 20th +of the month. These new leads brought greater numbers of old squaws +nearer shore. At 6:00 P.M. that same day eighteen old squaw ducks sat +on the ice off-shore and approximately 100 flew to the east in three +separate groups. + +At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951), old squaws were observed every +day. On a four hour field trip (July 15), four adults were seen. On +July 18 an old squaw was flying in company with a male pintail. An +Eskimo hunting party of three men had killed a female (July 18) near +our camp and were going to prepare it for food that evening. + +At Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951) we observed one pair with young and two +single adults. + +At Barrier Lake, northeast of Teshekpuk Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1951), +old squaw ducks were in evidence at least once or twice a day. On July +30, three birds were sitting on an island in a small lake adjoining +Barrier Lake. They were molting and although capable of flight were +using the island as a place of refuge. Two females shot on July 30, +weighed 650 grams and had masses of ova smaller than those in the +female shot at Topagaruk 23 days earlier. The largest ovum in the +latter female was 2.3 mm in diameter. On a flight on August 4, 1951, +from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow we saw two flocks of 18 each when +73 and 34 miles southwest of Point Barrow. + +Between the mouth of the Canning River Canyon and Umiat (July 18, +1952), old squaws were more numerous in lakes adjacent to the Colville +River than in lakes to the east. + +Upon our arrival at Gavia Lake (Aug. 20, 1952) a family of two adults +and two juveniles and another family of one adult and six juveniles +were the only ducks on the lake. One of the juveniles rested on the +bank instead of feeding in the lake with the other ducks, and on +August 23 died. On August 21, one duckling in the second family +strayed out toward the center of the lake, whereupon the adult female +swam out and herded the young bird back toward the group nearer the +shore line. On August 22, the female and two ducklings of the first +family were shot. The adult was 390 mm in total length whereas the +young were 300 mm in total length and weighed 320 grams. Neither young +birds nor the mother could fly. The breast of each young consisted of +only a few thin layers of muscles whereas the adult's breast was made +up of thick muscles. The second family had frequented the south shore, +but moved to the north side of the lake when fired upon. On August 22, +one duckling was 214 mm long and weighed 119 grams. Although the +season was far advanced and the snows of autumn were already falling, +ducklings of the sizes specified above were still unable to fly and +the females were still molting the essential flight feathers. + +At Driftwood (Aug. 30, 1952) an adult and two juveniles were feeding +in a lake northeast of camp. + + ++Polysticta stelleri+ (Pallas): Steller's eider.--Specimen, 1: +Topagaruk, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., No. 30325, ad. female, July 10, +1951. + +An incubating female was shot at Topagaruk on July 10, 1951. Her ovary +was 30 mm long, and the largest ovum was 3 mm in diameter. Her nest +was in a depression of a high-centered polygon some 300 feet from any +large body of water, contained five fresh eggs, and was lined with +black down feathers of an adult. On each of three occasions when +approached, the female left the nest when I was six feet away. + +On September 7, 1952, a flock of eight Steller's eiders was swimming +in a large lake approximately one mile southeast of the Arctic +Research Laboratory. + + ++Somateria mollissima v. nigra+ Bonaparte: Common eider.--On August +25, 1952, approximately 100 yards southwest of Point Barrow, 30 +Pacific eiders were resting on the beach in company with 90 king +eiders. When approached some swam and others flew out onto the Arctic +Ocean where they remained until we withdrew from the area, after which +time the birds returned to their resting place on the beach. + + + PLATE 9 + + [Illustration: Fig. 1. A male yellow-billed loon setting on eggs in + nest at Wahoo Lake on July 9, 1952.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 2. Nest and eggs shown in figure 1, July 9, + 1952. Incubation had just begun.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 3. Arctic loon (upper) and red-throated loon + (lower) from Teshekpuk Lake, August 1, 1951.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 4. Nest and eggs of white-fronted goose at + Umiat, July 1, 1952. Incubation three fourths completed.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 5. Adult male surf scoters, July 16, 1952, at + Porcupine Lake. Scoters are uncommon on the Arctic Slope.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 6. Arctic tern shot at Teshekpuk Lake on August + 1, 1951. A common breeding bird in northern Alaska.] + + + PLATE 10 + + [Illustration: Fig. 1. Shore of Arctic Ocean at Point Barrow, June + 19, 1952. Many birds already were nesting on the tundra.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 2. Tundra and oriented lakes 80 mi. S Point + Barrow, August 28, 1952, are breeding places for water birds.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 3. Luxuriant vegetation used by breeding birds + in intermontane valley at Porcupine Lake, July 18, 1952.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 4. Willow-lined creek at Chandler Lake, August + 25, 1951. Willows and alders offer nesting sites for birds.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 5. NW face of Mt. Chamberlin, 9131 ft.; terrain + inhospitable to most breeding birds. August 5, 1952.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 6. Destruction of bird communities by caribou + trampling south of Lake Peters. August 8, 1952.] + + ++Somateria spectabilis+ (Linnaeus): King eider.--Specimen 1: Point +Barrow, 156°27'25", 71°23'11", 3 ft., No. 31306, ad. male, August 25, +1952. + +Robert McKinley told us that in the last week of April of 1952, eiders +(king?) arrived in the vicinity of the Arctic Research Laboratory in +large numbers and continued to pass to the east for the next three +weeks. King eiders were observed at Point Barrow on July 3, 1951. + +Ninety king eiders and 30 Pacific eiders were resting on the shore of +the Arctic Ocean at Point Barrow on August 25, 1952. The following day +200 king eiders were in the same area. A male, shot there, measured +560 millimeters in total length. The muscles were only a third the +size of those on a normal bird. Another eider found dead also was +emaciated and may have died from gun shot wounds inflicted by the guns +of the Eskimos. For every bird killed by Eskimos, several are injured; +many of these die along the migration route. On July 28, king eiders +were flying northwest along the shore of Elson Lagoon, thence across +the Point Barrow Peninsula at Birnirk, and thence southwest along the +coast of the Arctic Ocean. This day was foggy and wind was from the +east. On clear days and especially when wind blows from the northwest, +king eiders cross the peninsula a fifth of a mile or so nearer Point +Barrow, which is the most northern extension of the Peninsula. More +eiders moved by on clear days than on cloudy or foggy days. In one +hour, ten flocks, averaging 400 birds each, passed overhead at Birnirk +(July 28); three days earlier flocks of from 50 to 300 passed +approximately every 20 minutes. Eskimos on this date were shooting +into these flocks of eider and bagging them in excess of the winter +needs of the hunters. One Eskimo had 40 king eiders undressed and +hanging on a drying rod at his home at Barrow Village (Sept. 2, 1952). + +On July 29, 1951, we flew from Point Barrow to Teshekpuk Lake and +observed (2:00-3:00 P.M.) only two small flocks of king eiders. On +August 1, 1951, at Barrier Lake, three large flocks were flying west +beyond the north end of the lake. This was the first day since July +29, on which we had seen such large flocks so far inland. + +On September 11, 1952, eight king eiders were resting on the shore of +the Arctic Ocean at Point Barrow. + + ++Lampronetta fischeri+ (Brandt): Spectacled eider.--On July 28, +1951, at Birnirk, several flocks were flying along the Arctic Ocean. + + ++Melanitta perspicillata+ (Linnaeus): Surf scoter.--Specimens, 2: +Porcupine Lake, 146°29'50", 68°51'57", 3140 ft., No. 31307 and 31308, +ad. males, July 15, 1952. + +Two males shot at Porcupine Lake on July 15, 1952, measured as +follows: Total length, 489 mm, 495 mm; length of testis, 9 mm, 11 mm; +weight, 1134 grams, 998 grams. These birds were frequently seen +together along the south side of the lake. At Lake Schrader (July 27, +1952), 15 scoters, in loose groups of two to six, fed in the southwest +corner of the lake. + + ++Buteo lagopus s. johannis+ (Gmelin): Rough-legged hawk.--On July 2, +1952, a nest of three young approximately six days old was examined ½ +mile southeast of Umiat Mountain. The young were being fed small +mammals. Another nest containing three addled eggs was also examined +near Umiat. Many infertile and addled eggs of several kinds of birds +were noted on the Arctic Slope. + + ++Aquila chrysaëtos canadensis+ (Linnaeus): Golden eagle.--Marvin +Mangus told us that he had seen young in nests at the following +localities: Kurupa River, 155°11', 68°38', on July 1, 1946; 10 miles +south of Driftwood in latter part of June, 1950; 11 miles NW from the +north end of Chandler Lake, 152°56', 68°25' on June 10, 1951; Awuna +River, 157°03', 69°12' July 4, 1952. Single adult birds were seen by +us at Gavia Lake (Aug. 21, 1952) and at Driftwood (Aug. 31, 1952). + +Atanak and his companions from Wainwright saw 12 eagles while hunting +(July 16-18, 1951) from the junction of the Avalik and Ketik rivers to +a point seven miles up the Kaolak River, but no eagles were seen +between the junction of the above rivers and Wainwright. + +Golden eagles daily hunted prey along ridges where Arctic ground +squirrels (_Spermophilus undulatus_) were abundant, for example, at +Wahoo Lake (July 3-12, 1952) and at Porcupine Lake (July 13-18, 1952). +This species of eagle hunted also in areas where marmots (_Marmota +caligata_) were abundant, as on the slopes adjoining Lake Peters. +There (August 6, 1952) three eagles soaring at 3800 feet elevation +south of the mouth of Chamberlin Canyon elicited from each of four +marmots three warning calls. Thereafter the marmots remained silent +until the eagles had left the area. One eagle that consistently hunted +(July 17, 1952) on the lower slope of Mount Annette along the Canning +River was three times harassed by two ravens. + +At the south end of Lake Peters (July 31, 1952), a pair of adult +eagles soared along the slopes of Mount Mary approximately 1000 feet +above the lake. Twenty minutes later these birds flew by camp at the +base of the mountain. On August 2, at 8:00 P.M., two birds, one a +large dark adult and one a bird of the year (?) dropped with partly +closed wings from high on the east side of the lake to an undisturbed +meadow on the west side. After circling the meadow once, the two birds +spiralled upward to approximately 4500 feet elevation in one steep +canyon, leveled off and after gaining the head of the next canyon, +plummetted down to the base of the mountain some 1500 feet below. The +high-speed flight continued across the ridge to the mouth of the next +canyon where they circled twice and then soared upward to repeat the +act. The objective probably was to surprise and prey upon small game +at the mouths of each canyon. On August 13, the eagles were still in +the area at the south end of Lake Peters in spite of an abrupt +seasonal change; snow and rain increased and the temperature dropped. + +On August 15, a Dall sheep (_Ovis dalli_) crossed the canyon from +Mount Mary to the mouth of Chamberlin Canyon. As the sheep reached the +east side of the canyon an eagle flew across the canyon and alighted +approximately 150 feet from the sheep. A large group of small birds +immediately harassed the eagle. + +Two eagles fed on a dead caribou on a delta on the east side of Lake +Peters. Eagles were noted every day at Lake Peters from July 31 to +August 15 inclusive. + + ++Falco rusticolus obsoletus+ Gmelin: Gyrfalcon.--At the southwest +corner of Barrier Lake on July 29, 1951, a gyrfalcon sat on a bank 10 +feet above the water level. A dead Arctic tern was on the beach only +90 feet away and visible to the gyrfalcon. When approached to within +250 feet, the gyrfalcon, rather than flying north over the lake and +lowlands, flew south across the upland tundra. On August 3, on the +edge of the upland tundra approximately 3½ miles farther east a +gyrfalcon ate a Sabine's gull--a bird of the year. Its feathers had +been plucked and only the stomach and intestines remained. The +gyrfalcon left the feeding area when approached to within 450 feet +and, as did the other gyrfalcon, flew south over the upland tundra +rather than over the lowlands of inundated sedges. On July 4, one +gyrfalcon sat on a promontory at the south end of Barrier Lake. This +bird flew south. + +At Umiat (Sept. 1-5, 1951) a gyrfalcon each day hunted the same areas +of marsh in the river valley where tundra voles (_Microtus oeconomus_) +were numerous and along the side of the valley where ground squirrels +were common. On several occasions, this bird hovered 30 feet up and +inspected us. This confidence was in contrast to that of the +gyrfalcons at Teshekpuk Lake; they evaded us by leaving the ground +several hundred feet away and flying out of sight. + +Westley Redhead told us that a gyrfalcon was at Umiat as early as the +latter part of May, 1952. We saw them there on September 1 and 2 in +the same year. Gyrfalcons feed on ptarmigan in the river valley and on +ground squirrels and small birds on the uplands by striking their prey +on the ground. These falcons fly like prairie falcons and are of the +same nervous disposition. + + ++Falco peregrinus anatum+ Bonaparte: Peregrine falcon.--A nest was +found on June 27, 1952, on the south slope of Mount Umiat +approximately 225 feet above the Colville River, 40 feet from the top +of the cliff and 30 feet west of the top of the mountain. The nest, +three feet in depth at the front, two feet in depth at the rear, and +2½ feet wide was made of sticks of many years accumulation and was +placed on a pinnacled platform 12 feet high. The nest contained one +infertile egg and two others in which embryos were approximately one +third developed. The female remained near us the one hour that we were +in the area. She flew back and forth in front of the nest terminating +each flight in an upswing arc and occasionally rested on top of the +ridge to the west. She dove at us but never came closer than 10 feet +before swerving upward. The male was not present. In a canyon 1/5 mile +northeast of the nest two dead ptarmigan were at the edge of a willow +cotton-grass swale. A nest of a peregrine falcon used three years +before was 1-7/10 miles east and 1-7/10 miles north of Umiat. The nest +was eight feet up on the face of a cliff 13 feet in height and easily +accessible to either fox or wolf. Along the Colville River the falcon +feeds on small shore-birds and other small birds. + + ++Falco columbarius bendirei+ Swann: Pigeon hawk.--On a benchland +between Chandler Lake and mountains to the west on August 12, 1952, a +pigeon hawk hunted back and forth across a meadow, fearlessly +inspecting us from distances of 20 to 30 feet as it searched the +meadow for food. This falcon systematically searched those areas where +longspurs were known by us to be most frequently found. Twice it +flushed Lapland longspurs and darted at them but without success. Of +the four pigeon hawks at Chandler Lake three were moving south and one +was moving north down the canyon. We saw this species at Chandler Lake +also on August 17, 20 and 21, 1951, and at Driftwood on August 27, +1952. + +Approximately 1/10 mile north of James Robert Lake (Aug. 8, 1952) a +pigeon hawk was harassing five ravens that were feeding on a dead +caribou. This falcon flew back and forth above the ravens. + + ++Falco sparverius sparverius+ Linnaeus: Sparrow hawk.--One seen in +the summer of 1952 at the mouth of the Colville River by Clifford +Fiscus. + + ++Lagopus lagopus alascensis+ Swarth: Willow ptarmigan.--Specimens, 5: +Topagaruk, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., No. 50587, ad. female, July 8, 1951; +Kaolak River, 159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., No. 30586, ad. female, July +14, 1951 and No. 30585, ad. male, July 15, 1951; Kaolak, 160°14'51", +69°56'00", 178 ft., No. 30583, ad. male and No. 30584, ad. female, July +23, 1951. + +Wherever ptarmigan were found, there was evidence that they were +resident in the area throughout the year. At Topagaruk, informants +said the ptarmigan were not so numerous in the summer (1949-1950) as +in the winter. The apparent relative abundance of these birds in these +two seasons could conceivably result from the birds being less +conspicuous and more seclusive in the summer because of nesting +activities. In summer these birds are protectively colored; at times a +female only a few feet away is hardly distinguishable from the tundra. +We observed only two adults and three juveniles in the area (July +5-10, 1952) although we saw considerable sign associated with the +winter season. Sand dunes derived from material along the edge of the +river formed a conspicuous feature of the landscape. These dunes, 20 +to 30 feet high, were deeply cut by winds from the west-northwest. +Ptarmigan tracks and sign were on all sides of the dunes, but the lee +side was more commonly used than any other because of the protection +from winds and the presence there of large willows and other plants. +At Barrier Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1952) we noted numerous droppings of +ptarmigan on the uplands between Barrier Lake and Teshekpuk Lake but +we did not see any birds there. The sign could have been deposited +either in the winter or in a previous season. + +There are perhaps local migrations of ptarmigan. Harmon Helmericks, +for instance, told us that in either April or May of 1946 he saw a +ptarmigan on the ice of the Arctic Ocean 10 miles north of Pingok +Island. At Gavia Lake (August 22) we observed a local shift of a group +of ptarmigan. One day there were 19 birds in an area; the following +day only seven birds were counted. On the third day the full +complement of 19 birds were again in the area. + +Ptarmigan are generally distributed on the Arctic Slope. On an +airflight (July 3, 1952) from the mouth of the Canning River Canyon to +Umiat the number of ptarmigan increased as we approached the drainage +system of the Colville River. On this date, when these birds are +nesting, the willows were just starting to grow new leaves and other +vegetation of the tundra still was undeveloped. On August 16, along +this same route, when young ptarmigan were nearly as large as adults, +willows and alders were in full leaf and dominated the vegetation +along water courses; the tundra was mature in appearance with +considerably more green and yellow color in the landscape. The water +in rivers and especially ponds was clear but brownish. + +In the river valley at Umiat (June 28, 1952) a nest of seven eggs (½ +incubated) was on an elevated mound supporting dwarf willow and birch +averaging 1½ feet high. The nest was merely a concavity in sphagnum +moss depressed by the weight of the bird. The female refused to leave +the nest until bodily removed. + +Dusting pits are actively used in the period of nesting. At Umiat +(June 25, 1952), ptarmigan were using seven dusting pits on the +shoulder of the airstrip. On the upland at Kaolak River (July 12, +1951), ptarmigan developed dusting pits on abandoned diggings made by +Arctic ground squirrels. Most of the mounds were covered with mosses +and lichens and other vegetation. + +Individuals and family groups were noted at various localities on the +Arctic Slope. At Kaolak River (July 15, 1951) on a four hour field +trip, we saw three pairs of birds and their families of four to six +young. One flock of eight adults was seen from the air at the mouth of +the Canning River Canyon on July 22, 1952. At Kaolak (July 21-27, +1951) they were common; ten pairs of adults (males and female) were +within a one mile radius of our camp. The families of young were in +groups of 1-3-4-6-8-9-10-11-14. One group consisted of one male, two +females and four young. While on a flight from Kaolak to Point Barrow +(July 27, 1951) we observed several ptarmigan on the tundra. At Gavia +Lake (Aug. 21, 1951) ptarmigan were in groups or singles as follows: +two adult singles, group of seven young and one adult, group of four +young and one adult and one group of five young and two adults. +According to Harmon Helmericks, ptarmigan were high in population +numbers on the Arctic Slope in 1952. + +Ptarmigan were associated with most of the communities of the Arctic +Slope but were noted more commonly in the following situations than +elsewhere: At Kaolak (July 21-27) and at Kaolak River (July 21, 1951) +in damp swales of grasses and sedges in poorly drained areas where +soils were damp to supersaturated and among the dwarf willows +bordering lakes and creeks; at Gavia Lake (Aug. 21, 1952) among +willows and alders (4 feet high) along the edges of ox-bow lakes. On +windy, cold days the ptarmigan were mainly on south exposures among +grasses and sedges along lakes and on windless days were on flat +tundra of polygons but near dwarf shrubs. On June 27, 1/5 mile +northwest of Mount Umiat, two dead willow ptarmigan were noted along +the edge of a willow and cotton-grass swale. The feathers had been +plucked by a raptor (?) preparatory to his eating the ptarmigan. + +Variations in parental display are indicated by the following +observations. At Kaolak River (July 12) we flushed a family of adults +and young. The male called as he left the ground and then he flew +across the lake. The female, when flushed at a distance of 10 feet +from the observer, feigned injury for 12 seconds before following the +male. Seven young, averaging seven inches in length, left the ground +and flew in the opposite direction from that taken by the male and +female, to swales of cotton-grass and willow on the hillside. Another +adult male and female were at the side of a young bird held in a trap. +The female first left the young and fluttered over the vegetation for +40 feet and the male flew out of the area. Four other young were +flushed 30 feet from the trap that held the captured ptarmigan. On +July 17, while walking through a wet meadow of grasses and sedges, we +flushed a male, female and four young (150 mm in length). The female +crawled through vegetation for 30 feet and then rose into the air. At +this same moment four young left the ground. The female, while in the +air, reversed her course and joined the young, which had alighted +some 300 feet away. On July 23, 1951, a family of two adults and 10 +young were flushed. The male returned and chattered until the female +arrived. The male then retreated 15 feet beyond the observer and +remained close to the female while she tried to distract our attention +from the young by pretending to have an injured wing. In a group of +one male, two females and four young at Kaolak (July 21, 1951) the +male and young left after the females fluttered along the ground for +30 feet. + +Adults and young do not always escape by flying; on July 20, 1951, we +were enroute from the landing lake to Kaolak when an adult male and +female with eight young ran 200 feet down established tracks of a +weasel vehicle. It was necessary to reduce the speed of the vehicle to +spare the young. A male at Kaolak River (July 12, 1951) ran 150 feet +under the protection of willows to an opening where it remained until +flushed. It flew 50 feet, then alighted in another patch of willows. + +At Gavia Lake at 11:30 P.M. a ptarmigan called because one of its +young was caught in a trap at the edge of a lake. The juvenal bird, +unharmed, was released and inadvertently was dropped into the water +where it floated but finally, becoming confused, got its head and bill +under water and drowned. + +On July 15, 1951, at 11:00 P.M. at Kaolak River, we heard a ptarmigan +joining an Arctic tern and several sandpipers in protest to a passing +red fox. + +For three consecutive days a family (male, female and young) at +Topagaruk was within 50 feet of one place. + +The following measurements of juveniles show increase in size as +correlated with advance of season: Topagaruk (July 6, 1951) two +juveniles averaging 110 mm in length weighed 21 grams; Kaolak River +(July 17, 1951) young of one family averaged 178 mm in length and +another individual was 162 mm in length and weighed 38 grams; Kaolak +(July 21-27, 1951) individuals in a group of nine were approximately +¾ the size of parents and other groups were 1/3 to 2/3 the size of +adults. + +In a brooding female 600 mm long from Topagaruk (July 8, 1951) the +largest ovum was two mm in diameter. Females, averaging 650 mm long +from Kaolak (July 23, 1951) had ovaries smaller than the normal size +for breeding birds; the largest ovum was only ½ mm in diameter. Males +of the same size had testes six mm in length. + + ++Lagopus mutus nelsoni+ Stejneger: Rock ptarmigan.--Specimen, 1: +Wahoo Lake, 146°58', 69°08', 2350 ft., No. 31309, ad. male, July 11, +1952. + +At Wahoo Lake (July 6, 1952), young of one brood for the first time +since July 3, called continually throughout the day and part of the +night. Members of three other broods, only a few days old, did not +call in the same persistent way. + +Along a deeply eroded western outlet of Wahoo Lake there was an +unusual concentration of fecal droppings, spaced approximately every +two or three feet. This sheltered place offered protection from cold +and winds of winter. Adults were associated with willows along creeks +and on adjoining sidehills where willows gave way to open tundra. One +family left the willows and the female flew back and forth behind the +young as she herded them. The largest adult male seen here was shot on +July 11. It was 365 mm in total length, weighed 460 grams, and had +testes 7 mm long. + +At the south end of Lake Peters (August 14, 1952), a female and her +two young, along with other kinds of birds, were attracted to our tent +during snowstorms. On July 18 at Wahoo Lake, a juvenile was 200 mm in +total length and weighed 100 grams whereas on August 9 at Lake Peters +a juvenal male was 261 mm in length and 226 grams in weight. + +Rock ptarmigan were uncommon at Chandler Lake. We observed the first +bird in the area on August 22, 1952, 13 days after our arrival. +Droppings of the birds were only occasionally seen there. + + ++Grus canadensis canadensis+ (Linnaeus): Sandhill crane.--In 1952, +two sandhill cranes called in the river valley north of Umiat on June +24. On June 26, 27 and 28, a single bird was seen there. It remained +in the general area and called occasionally. Sandhill cranes are only +occasionally seen along the Colville River. A pair of these cranes was +seen near Meade River on August 16, 1952, by Marvin Mangus. + + ++Charadrius semipalmatus+ Bonaparte: Semipalmated plover.--A pair of +semipalmated plovers in company with their young along the edge of +Seabee Creek at Umiat were seen on four consecutive days, July 18-21, +1952. A male and female measured, respectively, total length, 180 and +175 mm; weight, 50 and 55 grams. + + ++Pluvialis dominica dominica+ (Müller): American golden +plover.--Specimens, 10: Kaolak River, 159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., +Nos. 30592-30596 including 2 ad. males and 3 ad. females, July 12, 14, +18, 1951; Kaolak, 160°14'51", 69°56'00", 178 ft., Nos. 30588-30591 +including 3 ad. males and 1 ad. female, July 21-23, 1951; Umiat, +152°09'30", 69°22'08", 352 ft., No. 31312 of an adult of unknown sex, +July 21, 1952. + +On July 29, 1952, we noted a pair of golden plover 3/10 mile northwest +of Umiat. At Kaolak River (July 12, 1951) golden plovers could be +approached to within 80 feet and were less wary than black-bellied +plovers at Topagaruk. When one bird was shot the mate remained near +the dead bird. + +At Kaolak (July 21-27) four families of plovers were within a radius +of ½ mile of camp. Each of these families remained apart from the +others whereas at Kaolak River the physiography of the terrain +permitted the pairs to form social groups of several families of +adults and young. At Kaolak males flew to meet any intruder and +attempted to decoy the intruder while the female remained with the +young, but at Kaolak River an observer would approach to within 80 +feet of a nest or young whereupon the female feigned injury by +fluttering her wings and moving on her belly in an effort to decoy the +intruder, the male meanwhile remaining within 40 feet of the observer. +At Kaolak River, birds stayed in the nesting or feeding territory +until approached to within a hundred or so feet. Young birds (July 21) +were approximately ¾ the size of adults. The largest bird collected at +Umiat (July 21) weighed 155 grams and measured 26 mm in length. Five +males, shot on July 12-23 at Kaolak and Kaolak River, averaged 144 +(130-150) grams. The testes were 4.4 (4.0-5.0) mm long. Four females +collected at the same time from this area, averaged 144 (140-150) +grams. The ovaries were 7.7 (5.0-10.0) mm long and the largest ovum +was 2.0 mm in diameter. + +The call of the adult was two distinct curlewlike notes that differed +from the slurred call of the black-bellied plover. Golden plovers can +be decoyed by imitating their call. + +At Barrier Lake, in a two hour field trip (July 29, 1951) we observed +a flock of eight birds and one single; golden plovers were active +there all day and night. + +At Kaolak River (July 12, 1951) six pairs and their young were on open +and exposed surfaces. + + ++Squatarola squatarola+ (Linnaeus): Black-bellied +plover.--Specimens, 2: Topagaruk, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., No. 30597, +ad. male and No. 30598, ad. female, July 9, 1951. + +At Barrier Lake, on July 4, 1951, two adults were feeding together in +a bare lane which had been made and maintained by caribou. At +Topagaruk on July 7, 1951, these plovers made up less than one per +cent of the avian population. They were frequently on polygons having +raised centers. Non-nesting or non-breeding birds were on bare +wind-blown knolls adjacent to the river. On these knolls they fed with +semipalmated sandpipers, pectoral sandpipers, and ruddy turnstones. On +July 9, we visited polygons having raised centers and young called +continually but we could not locate them. The call resembles that of +the long-billed curlew but is more plaintive. Ordinarily these plovers +kept beyond the range of our collecting gun but when one of the pair +was killed the other, especially the male, remained near the dead bird +until the collector approached to within 20 feet. Of a pair shot on +this date the male weighed 207 grams and had testes 7 mm long; the +female weighed 232 grams and the largest ovum was 3 mm in diameter. +The species was recorded at Topagaruk from July 4 to 10, 1951, +inclusive. + +At the west edge of Smith Bay on July 29, 1951, while flying from +Point Barrow to Teshekpuk Lake, we observed one group of approximately +40 black-bellied plovers flying along the edge of the lake. At Gavia +Lake on August 21, 1952, two young were just able to fly but preferred +to run on the ground. + + ++Arenaria interpres interpres+ (Linnaeus): Ruddy +turnstone.--Specimens, 5: Topagaruk River, 155°48', +70°34', 10 ft., No. 30599-30603 including 4 ad. males and 1 ad. +female, July 6, 8, 9, 1951. + +Four males shot at Topagaruk July 6-9, 1951, weighed 105 (96-116) +grams. The testes were 2.8 (2.5-3.0) mm long. A female from the above +locality, shot on July 6, weighed 125 grams. These birds constituted +less than one per cent of the avian population at Topagaruk and were +more frequently on polygons with high centers and on high windswept +knolls than elsewhere and were in company with black-bellied plovers, +pectoral sandpipers and semipalmated sandpipers. One bird was observed +on July 3, 1951, at ¼ mile southeast of the Arctic Research Laboratory +at Point Barrow. + + ++Capella gallinago delicata+ (Ord): Common snipe.--At Umiat (June +25, 1952) at 11:00 P.M. a female was sitting and calling from the top +of a leafless alder tree some 210 feet from any favorable nesting +grounds. A male was performing a nuptial flight overhead. Three other +birds in the air were heard. + +On July 13, 1952, at Porcupine Lake, we flushed a female from a damp +meadow of grasses and sedges at the west end of the lake. She +pretended to have a crippled wing. Seventy-five feet from this bird an +abandoned nest and fragments of egg shells rested on top of a mound +six inches from water and 10 feet from the west end of the lake. Two +dwarf willows on top of the mound partly concealed the nest. Two days +later (July 15), juveniles were caught in a line of traps set in this +marsh. Four tree sparrows, one savannah sparrow and three species of +small mammals also were taken from this marsh. At this time of year +(July 15) all the terrain was free of snow and ice except that two +patches of snow, one 8 × 12 feet and another 6 × 6 feet remained on +the protected south shore of the lake and a few ice slivers remained +in the deep crevasses on some mounds in the marsh. One bird was seen +on August 13, 1952, in wet low polygons between Lake Schrader and Lake +Peters. + + ++Actitis macularia+ (Linnaeus): Spotted sandpiper.--At the south end +of Lake Peters on August 15, 1952, after snow covered the valley, a +juvenal spotted sandpiper remained along the shore line nearer camp +than it had been for four previous days. + + ++Heteroscelus incanum+ (Gmelin): Wandering tattler.--On each of the +days July 3-11, 1952, a wandering tattler was flushed from dense high +willows along an 8-foot-deep creek channel that carried water from the +west end of Wahoo Lake into the East Fork of the Ivashak River. The +bird was at home in the willows and had considerable dexterity in +perching on limbs. Although the bird favored one section of the creek, +an exhaustive search for young, eggs or nest was fruitless. A loud +call was given by this bird when disturbed. + + ++Erolia melanotos+ (Vieillot): Pectoral sandpiper.--Specimens, 52: +Barrier Lake, NE Teshekpuk Lake, 153°05'40", 70°39'40", 8 ft., 33, +Nos. 30616-30636, 30638-30648, 30754 including 5 ad. males, 12 juv. +males, 1 ad. female and 15 juv. females, July 30, Aug. 1-3, 1951; +Topagaruk, 155°48', 70°34', 7, Nos. 30649-30655, including 3 ad. males +and 4 ad. females, July 6, 8, 9, 1951; Kaolak River, 159°47'40", +70°11'15", 30 ft., 6, Nos. 30610-30615 of ad. females, July 12, 14, +15, 18, 1951; Kaolak, 160°14'51", 69°56'00", 178 ft., 6, Nos. +30604-30609 including 1 juv. male and 5 ad. females, July 20-23, 1951. + +The earliest record of young (135 mm in length and 26 grams in weight) +was at Kaolak River on July 14, 1951. On July 9, 1952, at Topagaruk +the oviduct of an adult female, 86 grams in weight, contained an egg +in a shell 200 mm in diameter. Her second largest ovum was 10 mm. +Breeding males on this date had testes averaging 11 mm in length. The +average length of testis of 15 juveniles shot on August 3, 1951, at +Teshekpuk Lake was 1.9 (1.5-2.0) mm. The average weight of these +juveniles was 60 (50-81) grams. A comparison of male and female +juveniles shows no significant differences. Nevertheless, adult males +in both the breeding and post-breeding seasons are longer bodied and +heavier than adult females. + +In the period June 14-25, 1952, in the Point Barrow area, pectoral +sandpipers were puffing their throats and cooing. On June 23, several +birds were defending territories, and one half mile northeast of +Barrow Village (June 23, 1952) we noted a male pectoral sandpiper that +crouched low when a pomarine jaeger flew directly overhead. After the +jaeger passed, the sandpiper assumed normal posture and continued +feeding. + +At Topagaruk (July 7, 1951) these birds represented less than one per +cent of the avian population, were common on polygons having low +centers, and frequently joined black-bellied plovers, ruddy +turnstones, and semipalmated sandpipers to form discrete flocks. + +On a four hour field trip at Kaolak River (July 15, 1951), the +pectoral sandpipers (45 by actual count) were the most common of the +sandpipers and were always calling overhead. The young on this date +were not yet capable of flight and were being fed by adult females. +One of the immatures bathed in water at the edge of the beach. On July +18, females were still attempting to decoy intruders by pretending to +have broken wings. Eight adults with young were observed at Kaolak +(June 21-27, 1951) but the species was not so aggressive as at Kaolak +River, nor so numerous. The fewer birds may have been correlated with +lack of sand dunes, river beaches and open areas. + +A group of five pectoral sandpipers frequented the shore of Barrier +Lake (July 29, 1951) but the group was not seen the following day. On +August 3, there was a sudden increase of pectoral sandpipers in the +area; most of them were in flocks of six to 50. From one point along +edge of the uplands, we shot 20 birds from several different flocks +consisting mostly of juveniles. They seemed curious about our presence. +When a bird was shot from the flock, the entire group circled back and +forth over the dead or injured bird, sometimes only three or four feet +above our heads. In the late evening of this same day, the number of +pectoral sandpipers increased and although some were moving westward, +most of them were moving eastward. On the following day they were +still present in great numbers. The day before the arrival of these +migrating birds, two adults (Aug. 2) acted as if they were still +attending young. On July 30, we shot at a lone bird as it flew by and +thereupon it climbed upward until nearly out of sight as they +frequently did when chased by falcons. + +At Lake Schrader (July 23, 1952) pectoral sandpipers were active 24 +hours of the day. + +On August 4, 1952, at the south end of Lake Peters, a group of eight +pectoral sandpipers fed near camp. On August 5, one was shot and on +the following day only seven were seen, suggesting that they were +established in the area and were not migrants. They left on August 12. + +At James Robert Lake (3600 feet elev., August 8, 1952), which is the +most southern body of water in the canyon south of Lake Peters, +several pectoral sandpipers were feeding along the edge of the lake +and on the alluvium outwash below James Robert Glacier. + +At Gavia Lake there was a decided trend in movement of groups of +pectoral sandpipers. On August 22, 1952, groups of 2, 4, 6, 8, 8, 8, +16, 17, 18 flew by to the east. The day before there were only a few +sandpipers and these were not especially on the move. Comparison +between dates of active movements of sandpipers in 1951 and 1952 +indicate that migration was considerably earlier in 1951 than in 1952. + + ++Erolia bairdii+ (Coues): Baird's sandpiper.--Specimens, 5: Topagaruk, +155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 4, Nos. 30657-30660 including 2 ad. males and 2 +ad. females, July 7, 9, 10, 1951; Kaolak River, 159°47'40", 70°11'15", +30 ft., 1, No. 30656, ad. male, July 12, 1951. + +On June 14, 1952, at Birnirk mounds, when snow still covered most of +the ground, Baird's sandpipers were already established on +territories. A nest of four eggs was examined ¼ mile southeast of the +Arctic Research Laboratory on July 4. The female left the nest when +the observer approached to within 20 feet and flew directly toward him +and then dropped to the ground and pretended to have a broken wing. We +pursued this bird for 50 feet before she took flight. The male, which +flew at a much greater speed than the female, was nearby and soon +joined her in flight. The female repelled her mate by chasing him, but +the male persisted in accompanying her. If one or more males of this +species (on one occasion as many as five) approached the territory of +these nesting birds, the male would leave the female and chase the +trespassers. On one occasion, after we left the nesting area, the +female returned to the nest after approximately four minutes. Her +approach to it was direct and without hesitation. After ½ hour we +returned to the nest and the male was standing one foot away from the +brooding female with his head resting on his wing. The male, followed +by the female, left the nest and feigned injury. Shore-birds and water +birds were more numerous on this date on the tundra and lakes nearer +the Arctic Ocean (in the Point Barrow area) than in the direction of +the Brooks Range. + +At Topagaruk (July 5-10, 1952) adults of this species were the fourth +most common bird, representing four per cent of the avian population. +They were near lakes among polygons some of which had low centers +whereas others had high centers. One bird had a nest and four eggs +approximately 150 feet from an oil derrick, surrounded on all sides by +the tracks of vehicles. This bird feigned injury at the nest notably +more than did Baird's sandpipers that inhabited undisturbed tundra +beyond. Three adult males, shot at Topagaruk (July 7-10, 1951), +averaged 44(42-47) grams in weight and had testes averaging +3.5(3.0-4.5) mm long. Two females, collected in the same period and at +the same place averaged 44 grams in weight. The largest ovum was one +mm in diameter and the largest ovary three mm long. + +Other occurrences were: Kaolak River, July 12-18, 1951 (four juveniles +observed in one four hour field trip July 15); Lake Schrader, July +24-28, 1952; Point Barrow, July 27, 1951 (most common shore-bird at +fresh-water ponds adjacent to the Arctic Ocean); 2 mi. S Wahoo Lake, +on a high divide between the Ivashak and Sadlerochit rivers, July 8, +1952; Lake Schrader, July 23-31, 1952 (active at all hours); S end +Lake Peters, August 1 and 2 but not seen there later. + + ++Erolia alpina pacifica+ (Coues): Dunlin.--Specimens, 21: Barrier +Lake, NE Teshekpuk Lake, 153°05'40", 70°39'40", 8 ft., 1, No. 30661, +ad. male, Aug. 1, 1951; Topagaruk River, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 20, +Nos. 30662-30681, 12 ad. males and 8 ad. females, July 6-9, 1951. + +Specimens shot at Topagaruk River (July 6-9, 1951) yielded weights of +57(53-64) grams for eleven adult males and 59(55-65) grams for six +females. Testes were 3.5(2.0-5.0) mm long, the largest ova were +1.2(.5-2.0) mm, and ovaries were 3.5(3.0-4.0) mm long. An adult female +from Teshekpuk Lake (August 1, 1951) weighed 48 grams. Her largest +ovum was one mm in diameter and the ovary was 3.5 mm long. + +At Topagaruk we observed the species every day (July 5-10, 1951) and +on July 7, located a nest and four eggs. Each of the seven times that +the brooding female was approached she left the nest when we were +approximately 80 feet away and she flew approximately 150 feet before +alighting at which time she called. The call resembled that of the +western grebe. The wary nature of this sandpiper was in contrast to +that of the other smaller shore-birds; they left the nest only when +almost stepped on. On July 9, the nest still held four eggs. Adults +were the fifth most common bird and made up three per cent of the +avian population. They frequented polygons having low centers adjacent +to stabilized lakes. At Kaolak River (July 17, 1951) a dunlin was +feeding and flying with a group of four semipalmated sandpipers. At +Point Barrow (July 27, 1951) dunlins were congregating in small groups +at ponds and small lakes adjacent to the Arctic Ocean. At Barrier Lake +(July 29-Aug. 4, 1951) three dunlins fed in the area but did not show +territorial behavior. + + ++Limnodromus scolopaceus+ (Say): Long-billed dowitcher.--Specimens, +5: Topagaruk River, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 2, Nos. 30687, ad. male, +July 7, 1951 and 30688, ad. female, July 8, 1951; Kaolak River, +159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., 3, Nos. 30684-30686, 3 ad. males, July +12, 14, 1951. + +Four males shot at Topagaruk and Kaolak River (July 7-14, 1951) +averaged 104(100-110) grams in weight and had testes 4.7(4-6) mm long. +An adult female (July 8) from Topagaruk, weighed 130 grams and her +ovary was 7.8 mm long. Her largest ovum was 3.5 mm in diameter. A +juvenile from Kaolak River on July 14, 1951, was 150 mm in length and +weighed 28 grams; thirteen days later, at Kaolak, a juvenile was shot +that measured 265 mm in length and weighed 70 grams. + +At Kaolak on July 15, 1951, we saw eight pairs of adults in a four +hour field trip. Their young were approximately ½ grown. One pair of +adults and four young, the size of parents, were seen daily in the +same general area at Kaolak (July 21-27). One bird was observed on +August 4, 1951, at Teshekpuk Lake. + + ++Ereunetes pusillus+ (Linnaeus): Semipalmated sandpiper.--Specimens, +28: Barrier Lake, NE Teshekpuk Lake, 153°05'40", 70°39'40", 8 ft., 4, +Nos. 30692-30695 including 3 juv. males and 1 juv. female, July 30, +August 1, 3, 1951; Topagaruk River, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 21, Nos. +30682, 30683, 30696-30714 including 12 ad. males and 9 ad. females, +July 6-9, 1951; Kaolak River, 159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., 3, Nos. +30689-30691 including 2 ad. males and 1 ad. of unknown sex, July 12, +14, 15, 1951. + +Eleven adult males and nine adult females shot at Topagaruk from July +5-10, 1951, weighed 29(22-30) and 28(25-31) grams, respectively. The +greatest length of skulls of each of the above sexes averaged 39.2 mm. +The shortest juvenile, having a skull measuring 35.9 mm long, was a +male shot at Kaolak River on July 15, 1951. Juveniles shot at +Teshekpuk Lake on August 1 and 3, 1951, averaged 25 grams in weight +and 28.4 mm in greatest length of skull. Testes of adults decreased in +size from an average of 4 mm on July 6, to an average of 2 mm on July +14. Testes of juveniles on August 3 averaged 1.3 mm in length. The +ovaries of seven adults from Topagaruk, shot on July 8 and 9, averaged +2.4 mm in length and the average diameter of the largest ovum was 7/10 +mm. + +A nest of four eggs, first examined on July 5, 1951, ¼ mile southeast +of the Arctic Research Laboratory, was abandoned on July 11. + +At Topagaruk (July 7, 1951) we flushed several adult semipalmated +sandpipers whose behavior suggested that they were nesting. Two days +later one nest held newly hatched young. This species was third in +abundance there, adults constituting 15 per cent of the avian +population. They were numerous on polygons having low centers and on +high windswept knolls in association with black-bellied plovers, ruddy +turnstones and pectoral sandpipers. The call resembled that of the +Hammond flycatcher and was accompanied by wing vibration. + +At Topagaruk (July 9, 1951) a female semipalmated sandpiper fluttered +off a nest, uttered a sharp cry, feigned injury by fluttering around +the observer, became seemingly indifferent but refused to return to +her nest, uttered sharp cries, came to within seven feet of the +observer who was sitting within three feet of the nest and alternately +chattered, ate several large dipterous insects from the ground and in +approximately five minutes went back on the nest, within easy reach, +although she still was not completely quiet. When the observer rose to +leave she again fluttered off the nest and feigned injury (the bird +was preserved as a specimen). The nest was concealed in a small +depression surrounded on all sides by tufts of vegetation and +contained four young, one of which had hatched no more than three +hours before. + +On a four field trip at Kaolak River (July 15, 1951) we counted 14 +juveniles in large stands of willows among sand dunes. These juveniles +were making short flights of from 15 to 40 feet. In contrast to the +situation at Topagaruk (July 5-10), there were fewer semipalmated +sandpipers than Baird's sandpipers at Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951). +July 16 was the first date on which family groups of sandpipers here +ventured out on the exposed sand bars along the river for feeding. One +juvenile was carried by wind over the river where it dropped into the +water. When last seen the juvenile was being floated upstream by the +wind. Next day in the same general area where winds had driven water +on the sand, four semipalmated sandpipers were feeding with dunlin. +These five birds kept together both on the ground and in flight. + +At Point Barrow (July 27, 1951) semipalmated sandpipers were forming +small groups and feeding on small lakes and ponds adjacent to the +Arctic Ocean. At the south end of Lake Peters (Aug. 3, 1952) several +semipalmated sandpipers were feeding in dry areas of alluvium trampled +by caribou. + + ++Limosa lapponica baueri+ Naumann: Bar-tailed godwit.--At Kaolak +River on July 18, 1951, one godwit was in company with a pair of +golden plovers on a bare slope of an old sand dune along the edge of +the river. The godwit when approached flew 150 feet and alighted and +when pursued again flew another 150 feet and then departed for a lake +1/5 mile away. + + ++Phalaropus fulicarius+ (Linnaeus): Red phalarope.--Specimens, 11: +Topagaruk River, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 11, Nos. 30715-30725 +including 10 ad. males and 1 ad. female, July 6-9, 1951. + +At Topagaruk (July 5, 1951), we located a nest and four eggs on the +edge of a small drainage channel on the tundra. The nest was among +mosses and lichens, one foot from open water. The bird left the nest +when the observer was only four feet distant but on a second approach +one hour later, left when the observer was 20 feet away. In each +instance the bird pretended to have an injured wing. On July 7, this +nest held four eggs. On July 8, there were four young, hatched either +the previous afternoon or night and the female left the nest when the +observer was 30 feet away. Ten adult males, shot at Topagaruk (July +5-10, 1951), averaged 50(45-54) grams in weight. These birds had +testes that averaged 6.5(2.5-9.0) mm long. The red phalarope on July 7 +was the fifth most common bird in the area, making up two per cent of +the avian population and was commonly seen on polygons having high +centers. + +At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1952) red phalaropes were uncommon. On +July 15, a female was noted but seemed not to have young or to be +nesting. A juvenile from Kaolak (July 22, 1951) was 180 mm in length +and weighed 31 grams. On September 6 and 7, we observed hundreds of +these birds, mostly juveniles, feeding in the ocean two to three feet +beyond beaches at Point Barrow. Small lakes and open water in marshes +had been frozen over since September 5, but larger lakes still were +open. Except for a few birds around edges of open bodies of water, the +great bulk of red phalaropes was (Aug. 7, 1951) on the Arctic Ocean. +On September 11, there was none at Point Barrow. Thomas Brower, a +resident at Barrow Village, stated that he had never before seen this +species congregate on the Arctic Ocean bordering the shore. + + ++Lobipes lobatus+ (Linnaeus): Northern phalarope.--Specimens, 5: +Topagaruk River, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 2, Nos. 30729, ad. male, +July 9, 1951, and 30730, ad. female, July 8, 1951; Kaolak River, +159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., 3, Nos. 30726-30728 including 2 ad. +males and 1 ad. of unknown sex, July 14, 15, 1951. + +In the period July 8-15, 1951, four adult males at Topagaruk and +Kaolak River averaged 31(28-33) grams in weight. Their testes +averaged 2.3(2-3) mm long. A female (July 8) weighed 37 grams. Her +largest ovum was 2 mm in diameter. A juvenile from Kaolak River (July +16) was 176 mm long and weighed 35 grams. Young northern phalaropes at +Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951) were more numerous than at Topagaruk +(July 4-10, 1951) and were almost the size of adults. On July 15, on a +four hour field trip, we counted 24 individuals including adults and +juveniles. On this date the juveniles were almost ready for flight. At +Kaolak (July 22, 1951) a young bird 212 millimeters in length was +flying and feeding alone. In our seven day stay at Teshekpuk Lake only +one northern phalarope was seen. It was near camp on August 3, 1951. +Between Birnirk and Point Barrow (Aug. 25, 1952), approximately 3000 +northern phalaropes had collected on fresh water ponds, salt water +lagoons and on the Arctic Ocean. Many of them were feeding while +others were nesting on matted green mosses bordering ponds. Their +habit of spinning in water was noted. Those feeding on the Arctic +Ocean were on the relatively smooth water immediately beyond the point +where the breakers formed. On September 11, at Point Barrow, we did +not see the species. + + ++Stercorarius pomarinus+ (Temminck): Pomarine jaeger.--At Birnirk +(June 14, 1952) while snow still covered most of the ground, pomarine +jaegers hunted for lemmings by flying approximately 20 feet above the +tundra and occasionally hovering. On June 15, one had eaten parts of +two large lemmings caught in traps along the edge of a snow-bound +lake. On June 17, these birds were preying on live lemming and +swallowing them whole. One flew 50 meters with a brown lemming in its +mouth and after alighting, consumed it. The backs of several lemmings +caught in traps had scars probably made by jaegers or conceivably by +snowy owls. West of Salt Water Lagoon (June 17, 1952), 12 jaegers were +counted with the aid of a 6 × 30 power binocular in a 90° arc to the +southward. Three snowy owls also were hunting in this area. In +traveling one and three-eighths miles south by east from Barrow +Village on June 20, 1952, we counted eight single pomarine jaegers in +the air and on the return trip the same day, five pomarine jaegers +(one was dead, another was resting on a lake and 3 were in flight). + +At Point Barrow (June 21, 1952) two pomarine jaegers left the land and +flew north out of sight over the Arctic Ocean. At a point 9/10 mile +east and 4/5 mile north of Barrow Village (June 23, 1952) we observed +a pomarine jaeger cruising three feet above ground. It dropped to the +tundra and picked up a lemming by its back and after adjusting the +lemming swallowed it tail first. On a lake one mile southwest of the +Arctic Research Laboratory a group of six and two pairs all facing +into the wind were resting on ice. In an area of 240 acres (outlined +by the tripod communication line to the west, "Y" line to east, and +row of 50 gallon drums following the ground line to south), we counted +19 pomarine jaegers in groups of from one to four or one per 12 square +acres; one snowy owl was in the area. + +At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951) pomarine jaegers were the second +most common jaeger in the area. In walking for four hours on July 15, +two pairs were noted. Ordinarily, however, these birds are seen singly +not in pairs. At Lake Schrader (July 23-31, 1952) pomarine jaegers +were active both day and night, especially at night. At Barrier Lake +(Aug. 2, 1951) two pomarine jaegers flew close together along the edge +of the south end of the lake. As they left the lake and flew over the +extensive marsh to the east they separated and flew as single +individuals. On August 4, a pomarine jaeger was chasing an Arctic loon +that had a fish in its bill. On August 10, 1951, a single pomarine +jaeger was noted at Chandler Lake. As late as September 7, 1952, one +half mile south of the Arctic Research Laboratory, seven pomarine +jaegers were foraging for brown lemmings. + + ++Stercorarius parasiticus+ (Linnaeus): Parasitic jaeger.--Specimens, +3: Topagaruk River, 155°48', 70°34, 10 ft., 2, Nos. 30732-30733, ad. +females, July 6, 8, 1951; Kaolak, 160°14'51", 69°56'00", 178 ft., 1, +No. 30731, ad. male, July 21, 1951. + +At Topagaruk (July 5-10, 1951) parasitic jaegers ranged over nearly +all plant and animal associations, but flew more frequently over +polygons with low centers than elsewhere. Data on two adult females, +shot on July 6 and 8, in that order are as follows: weight, 525, 320 +grams; largest ovum, 3, 1 mm; length of ovary ----, 5.5 mm. The bird +killed on July 6 was in the black color phase. + +At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951) the parasitic jaeger was the least +common of the three species of jaegers. + +At Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951) two birds nested near camp while others +passed through the area. These passing birds generally were seen +singly or in pairs; long-tailed jaegers commonly are in groups of four +or five. The parasitic jaegers were not so noisy nor so much given to +chasing others of their own species as were long-tailed jaegers. +Several single birds hunted in areas of sedges and grasses that +yielded lemmings. On July 21, a parasitic jaeger was flying with three +glaucous gulls, and demonstrating its usual flight tactics of gliding, +climbing and swooping as it accompanied the gulls. An adult male shot +on July 21, weighed 460 grams. + +On alluvial outwash at the southwest end of Lake Schrader (July 27, +1952) a male and female parasitic jaeger defended their territory by +diving at us. Periodically both birds alighted approximately 60 feet +away and each pretended to have a crippled wing for approximately a +minute. The female acted as if herding the young but was not. On each +of our daily inspections an adult defended the area. In a period of +four days the area defended was shifted approximately 1/5 of a mile +south in the marsh area adjacent to the lake. Parasitic jaegers were +noted in the Lake Schrader area from July 23 to July 31 inclusive. + +At Barrier Lake (July 30, 1951) two parasitic jaegers were harassing a +glaucous gull that responded as if being attacked by a hawk. The +plunging of the jaeger continued while the gull was flying 300 feet +horizontally. One other jaeger chased a glaucous gull for one-fourth +of a mile and finally having caught up with it dove at the gull +several times, each time almost making contact. From our camp on +Barrier Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1951) we watched parasitic jaegers hunt +along the south end of the lake, following precisely the edge of the +water. The wind drove debris to the south end of the lake. The +long-tailed jaeger was the more numerous here; it flew along ridges +and over marshes. On July 30, a single jaeger flew over the lake and +after hovering above a young Arctic loon, which had strayed from its +parent, dove down and picked it up. Three other parasitic jaegers +arrived and competed for the prey. + +A single parasitic jaeger was noted at Chandler Lake on August 10 and +one on August 11, 1951. At Gavia Lake (Aug. 21, 1952) there were six +jaegers in one group. + + ++Stercorarius longicaudus+ Vieillot: Long-tailed jaeger.--Specimens, +5: Kaolak River, 159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., 1, No. 30738, ad. +female, July 12, 1951; Kaolak, 160°14'51", 69°56'00", 178 ft., 4, Nos. +30734-30737 including 2 ad. males and 2 ad. females, July 21, 1951. + +The long-tailed jaeger was the second most abundant of the three +jaegers at Topagaruk (July 5-10, 1951). The greatest number seen on +any one day was three. At Kaolak River (July 12-19, 1951) this species +was the most common jaeger. On a four hour field trip (July 15 and 18) +we saw six birds. When in groups of three or more, they frequently +chased each other and called vigorously. One adult female shot on July +12, weighed 300 grams. The largest ovum in the female was 1.2 mm in +diameter and the ovaries were 5 and 6 mm long. + +Within 1/5 of a mile of our camp at Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951) there +were three breeding pairs of jaegers. On a four hour trip beyond this +limit we saw as many as 14 individuals. Most of these were in groups +of three and were commonly seen flying over meadows and along ridges. +Single birds hunted by hovering or swinging upward. Territories +vacated by our collecting adult birds were not immediately filled by +other nesting jaegers. One pair of jaegers nested in a broad grassy +meadow. The female was aggressive and demonstrative and called +continually above her young. The male was less demonstrative but +joined the female when she began calling. On July 24, four jaegers +flew over areas where brown lemmings had been trapped in greatest +numbers. Two adult males shot on July 21, weighed 270 and 250 grams. +The testes of these two birds were 5.5 and 8.0 mm long. Two adult +females from the same area, and shot on the same date as the males, +were larger than the males. The females weighed 285 and 298 grams. + +At Barrier Lake (July 29, 1951) we observed three long-tailed jaegers, +all chasing and harassing a glaucous gull. These jaegers hunted mostly +along ridges and over marsh. At midnight these birds were still +hunting and flying about. Other long-tailed jaegers were on the lake +from July 29 to August 4 inclusive. + +At Gavia Lake (Aug. 21-23, 1952) two long-tailed jaegers fed from our +refuse pile only 30 feet from our tent. A single individual was noted +at Lake Peters on July 25, 1952, and one at Driftwood on August 27, +1952. + + ++Larus hyperboreus barrovianus+ Ridgway: Glaucous gull.--Specimen, +1: Topagaruk, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., No. 30739, ad. male, July 9, +1951. + +Robert McKinley told us that on May 16, 1952, approximately 25 gulls, +probably glaucous gulls, arrived at the Arctic Research Laboratory and +remained until May 25. On July 4, 1951, there, we recorded all gulls +passing over the ice from 8:45 A.M. to 9:45 A.M. At this time the +shore line and first 100 feet of water was free of ice; beyond, +seaward, the ice was rough and dark for ¼ mile, succeeded by white ice +for ¼ mile, next the high pressure ridge, and then open water of the +Arctic Ocean. Glaucous gulls, singly, passed to the southwest and to +the northeast at intervals of 6(3-10) minutes at a distance of +500(300-800) feet from the shore line, except for one bird that was +approximately one mile off-shore. + +On July 10, 1952, off-shore from the Laboratory, where garbage from +camp was deposited on the ice, approximately 130 glaucous gulls were +present--some resting on the ice and some flying. At six P.M., four +hours later, 84 gulls including several immatures remained. Birds in +groups were constantly walking about or flying short distances, but +lone individuals stood perfectly still for long periods. On July 11, +only 22 birds remained; they were flying up and down the shore line. +At Topagaruk (July 5-10) glaucous gulls fed on the refuse pile at +camp. The number varied from day to day, from as few as 10 to as many +as 22; a few remained at the feeding grounds at all times. + +The testes of an adult male (30739), shot on July 9, 1951, at +Topagaruk were 15 mm long and 9 mm thick. + +At Kaolak River (July 12-19, 1951) gulls occasionally cruised up or +down the river, but did not remain in the area. When we flew from the +mouth of Canning River Canyon to Umiat (July 16, 1952) the only +glaucous gulls noted were in the vicinity of the Colville River. At +the Will Rogers Monument 12 miles southwest of Barrow Village (July +18, 1951), 275 glaucous gulls were at the mouth of one of the streams +entering the Arctic Ocean, and 50 miles southwest from Point Barrow +along the ocean six gulls flew over the water where a muddy stream +from the land was discharging into the Arctic Ocean. On July 20, 400 +of these gulls were near the Arctic Research Laboratory and in the +large lake southwest of camp. At Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951) five to +eight birds remained near camp. Along the larger creeks they flew by +approximately every two hours. + +On an air trip along the Arctic Ocean 56.2 miles southwest of Barrow +Village (July 27, 1951) we counted 312 gulls, most or all glaucous +gulls, in small groups as follows: average size of flock, 34(2-70); +average distance between flocks, 5.8(1.9-13.6) miles. A large flock of +188 glaucous gulls, on this date, was in the environs of Barrow +Village and the Arctic Research Laboratory. On an airflight between +Point Barrow and Smith Bay (July 29, 1951) we observed three groups +(1-2-7) equally spaced between the two points. The glaucous gulls were +seen in only small numbers at Barrier Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1951) +generally as individuals or groups of two or three, and frequently +were harassed by jaegers. On August 3, a glaucous gull on three +occasions inspected but did not touch a freshly killed pectoral +sandpiper floating on the surface of the water. On a flight from +Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow (Aug. 4, 1951) we observed groups of +gulls as follows: one at 40 miles (miles are from Point Barrow), four +at 34 miles, four at 10 miles and twenty-three at 8 miles. At +Driftwood (Aug. 27-31, 1952) groups of from one to 12 glaucous gulls +were seen every day. At Umiat (Aug. 30-Sept. 4, 1951) several birds +were flying up and down the river. In 1952 (July 18) at 10 miles east +of Umiat we observed a single bird. On August 25, 1952, at Point +Barrow, 33 glaucous gulls flew along the edge of the Arctic Ocean. +Between Birnirk and Point Barrow (Sept. 11, 1952) a group of 230 +glaucous gulls rested along the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Glaucous +gulls were noted also at the following places in the Point Barrow area +(1952): west side Salt Water Lagoon, June 17; 9/10 mile east and +8/10 mile north Barrow Village, June 23; 1 mile southwest Barrow +Village, September 6; ½ mile south Arctic Research Laboratory, +September 7. + + ++Larus canus brachyrhynchus+ Richardson: Mew gull.--Specimens, 2: SE +Lake Peters, 69°20'56", 145°09'26", 2950 ft., 1 imm. female No. 31314 +(Aug. 6, 1952) and one adult female 31313 (Aug. 9, 1952). + +At the southwest end of Lake Schrader, from July 23 to 31, 1952, a +pair of mew gulls defended a territory and two young in the marsh +bordering the edge of the lake and flew to meet us whenever we +approached. They were active day and night. On August 3, 4, and 5, the +female of this pair fed at the mouth of the river that flowed into the +south end of Lake Peters 4.9 miles south of the nesting territory. On +August 6, both adults and the two juveniles were at the south end of +Lake Peters. The young called frequently and the adults, when we came +near their young, called loudly and dived at us, but remained higher +in the air than they did when protecting their young on the nesting +territory. On August 6, the female (435 mm long and 290 grams in +weight) was shot and prepared as a specimen. The two juveniles and the +male remained in the area and on August 9, one of the juveniles +(female) 422 mm in length and 362 grams in weight, was shot. On August +12 the male and one juvenile were still in the same area, and active +day and night. + + ++Pagophila eburnea+ (Phipps): Ivory gull.--Pete Savolik told us that +whenever the pack ice came near shore at Point Barrow, a few ivory +gulls were generally present. + + ++Rissa tridactyla pollicaris+ Ridgway: Black-legged +kittiwake.--Specimen, 1: 7½ mi. S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 156°49', +71°17', sea level, 1 (skin) No. 31315 of an adult of unknown sex, +September 6, 1952. + +The kittiwakes (Sept. 6, 1952), were in the air along the Arctic Ocean +at Barrow Village and all along the coast at least as far as a point +10 miles southwest of Barrow Village (only a few were seen northeast +of Barrow Village) and were feeding on material floating in the +pre-breaker area of the ocean and to a lesser extent on debris washed +up on the sands of the beach. + + ++Xema sabini sabini+ (Sabine): Sabine's gull.--Specimens, 8: 7½ mi. +S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 156°49', 71°17', sea level, 1 (skin) No. +31316, ad. male, Sept. 6, 1952; Topagaruk, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 7, +Nos. 30740-30746 including 4 ad. males and 3 ad. females, July 6, 8, +9, 1951. + +At Topagaruk the species was seen daily from July 4 through July 10, +1951. Six adults were nesting on July 5. They constituted less than +one per cent of the avian population inhabiting stabilized lakes of +medium size. On July 8, one nest held young. When we approached the +nesting grounds they flew 150 feet to meet us and then returned, +hovered, or flew directly over their nests. One nest was on an island +one foot in diameter; other islands inhabited were as large as one +square meter. The vegetation at the nest was bright green and lawnlike +because of trampling and fertilization of the grasses and sedges by +the birds. Correspondingly green, lawnlike areas of grass were noted +on the resting grounds of ducks and geese. The Sabine's gull and +Arctic tern are compatible and nest within 20 feet of each other. The +young freely circulate through each other's territory. The average +weight of three adult males (July 6-8) was 202(190-214) grams. The +average length of the testes of these birds was 10(8-14) mm. Four +adult females collected at the same place and time weighed +177(158-190) grams. The ovaries averaged 8 mm long and the largest +ovum was 2.8(2.0-4.5) mm in diameter. + +At Kaolak River on July 17, 1951, one gull flew along the river but +did not seem to be nesting in the area. On July 20, 1951, 105 miles +southwest of Point Barrow, we observed Sabine's gulls, Arctic tern and +several pairs of loons on one lake. On a return trip from Kaolak to +Point Barrow by air (July 27, 1951) we found Sabine's gulls generally +distributed across the Coastal Plains. On an air trip from Point +Barrow to Teshekpuk Lake on July 29, 1951, we noted two Sabine's gulls, +one 9.7 miles southeast of Point Barrow and one 5.9 miles northwest of +the central western edge of Smith Bay. + +Three miles east of our camp on Barrier Lake (Aug. 3, 1951) a Sabine's +gull had been eaten by a gyrfalcon. The gull was a bird of the year +with the downy feathers extending beyond the ends of seven primary +feathers. Three primary feathers were newly molted and of full length. + +On an air flight (Aug. 4, 1951) from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow we +saw two Sabine's gulls 63 miles southwest of Point Barrow and two at +23 miles southwest of Point Barrow. At Point Barrow (Aug. 26, 1952), +250 Sabine's gulls were resting or flying in the area. On September 6 +at 7½ miles south and 7 miles west of Point Barrow, Sabine's gulls +constituted 60 per cent of the larger birds that were flying and +feeding along the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic tern constituted 20 per +cent, the kittiwake 5 per cent and the glaucous gulls 15 per cent of +the population. An adult male shot here (Sept. 6) weighed 213 grams. +Between Birnirk and Point Barrow (Sept. 11, 1952) we counted 17 +Sabine's gulls feeding and resting along the shore of Elson Lagoon. + + ++Sterna paradisaea+ Pontoppidan: Arctic tern.--Specimens, 11: 7½ mi. +S and 7 mi. W Point Barrow, 156°49'15", 71°16'52", sea level, 2, Nos. +31315 and 31318, ad. male, Sept. 6, 1952; NE Teshekpuk Lake, +153°05'40", 70°39'40", 8 ft., 3, Nos. 30750-30752 including 2 ad. +males and 1 ad. female, Aug. 1, 1951; Topagaruk River, 155°48', 70°34', +10 ft., 3, Nos. 30753, ad. female, July 7, 1951, and 30754, ad. male, +July 9, 1951, and 30637, male, July 9, 1951; Kaolak River, 159°47'40", +70°11'15", 30 ft., 3, Nos. 30747-30749 including 2 ad. males, July 14, +18, 1951, and 1 ad. female, July 12, 1951. + +Adult males and females prepared for specimens at Topagaruk (July 7, +9, 1951) showed signs of molting, especially in the primary wing +feathers. Three adult males averaged 92(87-93) grams in weight (the +largest male collected on the Arctic Slope was from Teshekpuk Lake on +August 1, 1951, and weighed 106 grams). The testes of these males +averaged 4.2 (3-5) mm in length (in late autumn testes recede to +approximately 1.0 mm in length). Two females from the same place and +shot on July 7 and 12, weighed 99 and 100 grams. The average diameter +of the largest ovum was 2.0 mm and the longest ovary was 6 mm. + +At Kaolak River (July 12-18, 1951) an adult hunted day and night over +shallow water on a sand bar approximately 500 yards from its nest. +Water from lakes in an abandoned section of the river valley caused a +creek to flow at night into the river. In the day ephemeral pools were +formed because more water evaporated or sank into the sands. As pools +were formed, small fish one inch in length were trapped. Before the +pools disappeared, the tern captured all these fish. One of the terns +that had been feeding on these fish flew out over the upland tundra +approximately 500 feet from the river valley. This tern dove at us +twice and then returned to the river valley and its nest some 800 feet +away. + +The nest of this bird was on one of three islands in a small lake. The +nesting island was three square yards in area and had been built to a +height of four feet above the level of the mainland by many years use +of the island. The nest was within 30 feet of a nest of a red-throated +loon, which was accepted in the territory of the tern without +molestation. + +Northeast of Teshekpuk Lake (July 29-Aug. 4, 1951) a pair of terns had +young on a small island in a chain of lakes opening into the south end +of Barrier Lake. The adults hunted small fish along the south end of +Barrier Lake but especially in small lakes surrounding their nest. +These birds seemed to be the only terns nesting on this large lake. As +food was plentiful, available nesting sites may have governed the size +of the tern population. + +Six pairs of Arctic terns, constituting less than one per cent of the +avian population in the area, were nesting on small islands of the +larger lakes at Topagaruk in the period July 5-10, 1951. On July 8, +one nest held both eggs and young; other nests held either eggs or +young. These birds and the Sabine's gulls showed no hostility to one +another. On July 9, three miles north of camp 13 terns were among +sedges in standing water. They seemed to be nesting but we could not +reach them. + +On June 23, 1952, at a point 9/10 mile east and 8/10 mile north of +Barrow Village, Arctic terns were in flocks; one of eight flew +northeast across the tundra. At a point 105 miles northwest of Point +Barrow on an air trip to Kaolak (July 20, 1951) we saw Arctic terns, +Sabine's gulls, and several pairs of loons in the same lake. The trip +from Point Barrow to Kaolak was characterized by relatively few large +birds. On the return trip (July 27) on a straight line flight from +Kaolak to Point Barrow, only two terns were seen, one 33 miles +northeast of the junction of the Avalik and Kaolak rivers and another +9.7 miles beyond. On our return trip from Teshekpuk Lake to Point +Barrow (Aug. 4, 1951) we saw only a single tern; it was 63 miles +southeast of Point Barrow. At Gavia Lake (Aug. 21, 1952) there were +three pairs of terns. At 8:00 A.M. three other pairs appeared and +then left. No young were observed. At Point Barrow (Aug. 26, 1952) 130 +terns fished or rested on the lee side of the peninsula. Arctic terns +were the second most common bird flying and feeding along the shore +line of the Arctic Ocean 10½ miles southeast of Point Barrow on +September 6, 1952. Associated species were Sabine's gulls, kittiwakes +and glaucous gulls. + + ++Nyctea scandiaca+ (Linnaeus): Snowy owl.--Harmon Helmericks told us +of seeing a snowy owl catch a brown lemming that was swimming in open +water 30 nautical miles north of Thetis Island in April of 1946. + +On a 1000 linear meter transect (1000 × 1) east of Barrier Lake we +collected (Aug. 3, 1951) 19 pellets from the edge of the uplands and +from prominent mounds on the lowlands. One pellet contained a complete +radius-ulna of an Arctic fox and another a foot of a ptarmigan. + +At Kaolak River (July 12, 1951) the only sign of owls was pellets on +the upland tundra. They were covered with green algae and fungus +several years old. + +On an air flight from Point Barrow to Kaolak River (July 11, 1951) we +saw one snowy owl on the Coastal Plain and on the return flight (July +19) two more; one was approximately 40 miles south of the Will Rogers +monument and the other about one half way between the monument and +Point Barrow. When flying from Teshekpuk Lake to Point Barrow (Aug. 4, +1951) we saw one snowy owl flying over the tundra. + +Greater abundance was indicated by observations in 1952, a year in +which brown lemming were at a high peak in their cyclic fluctuation: +Entrails of a brown lemming were on top of a mound used by snowy owls +as evidenced by the numerous fresh owl pellets, at the west side of +Salt Water Lagoon on June 17; three snowy owls fed in the surrounding +area (June 17-27); one owl seen at Driftwood on August 30-31; eight +owls recorded on our two mile trip south of Barrow Village on +September 6; four owls observed one half mile south of the Arctic +Research Laboratory on September 7; three owls seen at Point Barrow on +September 11. + + ++Asio flammeus flammeus+ (Pontoppidan): Short-eared owl.--Specimen, +1: 2 mi. W Utukok River, 161°15'30", 68°54'50", 1275 ft., 1, No. +31319, ad. male, August 31, 1952. + +A short-eared owl was seen at Chandler Lake on August 16, 1951. +Another flew across the middle of Gavia Lake on August 22, 1952, +hunted the south shore, caught two small rodents and pursued one +Lapland longspur that escaped. From August 27 to 31, 1952, at +Driftwood individual short-eared owls were noted daily. On August 31, +a family group of five flew in close formation and fed in the low wet +marsh in the valley adjacent to the river. An adult male from two +miles west of Driftwood (Aug. 31, 1952) was 370 mm in length and +weighed 417 grams. + + ++Chordeiles minor minor+ (Forster): Common nighthawk.--Clifford +Fiscus told us that a nighthawk was seen by an Eskimo in the summer of +1952 at Wainwright. + + ++Tachycineta thalassina lepida+ Mearns: Violet-green swallow.--At +6:00 P.M. on August 17, 1951, at Chandler Lake, a northern +violet-green swallow came to our camp, inspected us at a distance of +four feet, fluttered over and around the tent for two minutes, then +flew over the water, and continued south. + + ++Corvus corax principalis+ Ridgway: Common raven.--Specimen, 1: +Umiat, 152°08', 69°22', 337 ft., No. 31320, juv. female, August 19, +1952. + +William Wyatte of Umiat told us that ravens were the only birds that +remained at Umiat throughout the winter of 1951-52. He observed them +flying when temperatures were so low that moisture from the ravens +froze into floating ice crystals. + +At Wahoo Lake (July 9, 1952) two ravens fed on a dead lake trout (18 +inches in length) at the east end of the lake. The fish seemed to have +died of malnutrition as it had an abnormally slender body and large +head. No other carrion or dead fish was in the area. At 6:00 P.M. on +August 8, 1952, in the main canyon 1/10 mile north of James Robert +Lake, five ravens fed on remains of a dead caribou by extracting flesh +from between the vertebrae; carnivorous mammals could not conveniently +reach the flesh. A pigeon hawk harassed the ravens. Ravens were at +Porcupine Lake, every day from July 13 to 18, 1952, mostly flying +along the crest of high mountain ridges. One pair controlled a +territory in the Canning River drainage east of Mount Annette and +repelled an eagle on three occasions. + +At the south end of Lake Peters (Aug. 10) a raven hunted low over the +ground. Here, only occasionally were they seen so low in the valley. +At Chandler Lake ravens were noted flying high along the crests of the +mountains on August 11, 12, 13, and 25, 1951. + +One juvenile female that was shot at Umiat on August 19, 1952, was 682 +mm long and 1360 grams in weight. Between August 30 and September 4, +1951, ravens were noted at Umiat every day; the largest group was six. +Most of the time they fed at the refuse pile near camp. + +On our first day at Gavia Lake (Aug. 21, 1952) a pair of ravens +arrived from the west and calling continually circumnavigated the +shore line. They left in the same direction from whence they came. + +Clifford Fiscus told us that in the summer of 1952, ravens were seen +along the Arctic Coast between Pitt Point and Point Barrow. The +largest congregation was at the mouth of the Colville River. Ravens +were noted on August 27 and 28, 1952, at Driftwood. + + ++Turdus migratorius migratorius+ Linnaeus: Robin.--From the tops of +alder trees at the mouth of Bearpaw Creek on June 27, 1952, three +robins sang more frequently in the evening between 6:00 P.M. and +11:00 P.M. than at any other period of the 24 hours of continuous +daylight. + +At Wahoo Lake on July 3, 1952, a nest held four eggs, on July 6 two +eggs and two young, and on July 10 one egg and three young. On July 12 +the single egg was determined to be infertile. In the canyon south of +Wahoo on July 6 two adults and a single young bird were feeding 50 +feet from a recently abandoned nest that was superimposed upon an old +nest of a previous year. Other robin nests in high willows in the +bottom of this canyon were spaced approximately 1/5 of a mile apart. +Occasionally robins foraged on the open tundra beyond willow-lined +creeks. As compared with robins in the temperate regions, those in the +Arctic Life-zone were notably less "fearless"; they came to within +three feet of the nest when nestlings were being inspected by an +observer. The robins at Wahoo Lake on July 3-12, 1952, generally sang +at about 10:00 P.M., a time equivalent to twilight in temperate +regions to the south. + + ++Hylocichla minima minima+ (Lafresnaye): Gray-cheeked +thrush.--Specimens, 2; Wahoo Lake, 146°58', 69°08', 2350 ft., 1, No. +31321, ad. female, July 11, 1952; Chandler Lake, 152°45', 68°12', 2900 +ft., 1, No. 30755, juv. male, August 23, 1951. + +On June 27, 1952, we frequently heard thrushes singing on the side of +the valley north of Umiat. Large alder, birch and willow gave adequate +protection to these birds. + +At Wahoo Lake (July 3-12, 1952) thrushes were seen every day along +willow-lined creeks. An adult female on July 11, was 191 mm long and +weighed 34 grams. A male from Chandler Lake on August 23, 1951, was +186 mm long and weighed 34 grams. It was caught in a mouse trap on an +alluvial outwash at the mouth of a canyon in a willow community in +which some willows were as high as nine feet. Fifteen tree sparrows, +two white-crowned sparrows, one northern shrike, two wheatears and a +few redpolls were noted there. + + ++Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe+ (Linnaeus): Wheatear.--Specimens 2: +Mount Mary, S end Lake Peters 145°10'02", 69°20'30", 2920 ft., 1, No. +31322, juv. female, August 1, 1952; Chandler Lake, 152°45', 68°12', +2900 ft., 1, No. 30756, ad. male, August 12, 1951. + +On the top of Mount Annette (July 17, 1952), which is the highest peak +in the valley and the center of several drainage systems, the insects +had collected in unusual numbers. There, an adult wheatear was feeding +insects to her young, which were three fourths the size of the parent. + +From records kept of trap catches at Lake Peters (July 31-Aug. 15, +1952) the wheatears were always caught in those areas that supported +the greatest number of red-backed voles (_Clethrionomys rutilus_). On +August 10, among rocks at the base of moraines, the wheatear was the +second most common species. On August 15, after snow had fallen on the +mountain and in the valley and the skies there were cloudy, wheatears +moved onto the alluvium but always within at least 150 feet of +moraines to which the birds retreated when alarmed. An adult female, +shot on August 1, on the lower slopes of Mount Mary at the south end +of Lake Peters, was 158 mm long and weighed 26 grams. + +At Chandler Lake (Aug. 9-25, 1951) the wheatear was characteristically +a bird of the rock fields and rockslides and in many places was the +only bird present. It did not inhabit the glaciated canyons leading +west from Chandler Lake, except at their mouths. From August 10-19, +wheatears decreased in numbers. On August 25 the two remaining birds +noted were among willows and rock ridges. Three adult males, shot on +August 14, averaged 24(23-26) grams in weight and their testes +averaged 1.2(1.0-1.5) mm long. + + ++Luscinia svecica svecica+ (Linnaeus): Bluethroat.--Specimens, 7: +Gavia Lake, 150°00', 69°35', 460 ft., 2, Nos. 31323 and 31328, males +August 22, 23, 1952; 9/10 mi. W and 9/10 mi. N Umiat, 152°10'58", +69°22'53", 380 ft., 1, No. 31324, ad. female, June 30, 1952; +Driftwood, Utukok River, 161°12'10", 68°53'47", 1200 ft., 3 (skins) +Nos. 31326 and 32620, ad. females and 31327, ad. male?, August 29, +1952, and 1, No. 31325, ad. female, August 28, 1952. + +The average length and weight of six adult males and adult females +from Gavia Lake and Driftwood (Aug. 23-29, 1952) are, respectively, as +follows: 153(148-165) mm and 19(18-21) grams. One female from Umiat +shot on June 30, 1952, weighed 22 grams. The ovary was 5 mm long and +the largest ovum was 1 mm in diameter. + +At Umiat (June 30, 1952) a bluethroat was captured in one of 200 traps +placed around the edge of a small lake. The trap that held the bird +was in a soil fracture 15 centimeters in depth in an area that +supported alder, willow, birch and ericaceous shrubs. At Driftwood, a +bluethroat was caught on August 28, 1952, in a trap set among willows. + + ++Phylloscopus borealis kennicotti+ (Baird): Arctic warbler.--On the +north side of the valley at Umiat on June 27, 1952, willow warblers +sang loudly and continually in accompaniment with white-crowned +sparrows, tree sparrows, gray-cheeked thrushes and bluethroats. + + ++Motacilla flava tschutschensis+ Gmelin: Yellow-wagtail.--Specimens, +2: Kaolak, 160°14'51", 69°56'00", 178 ft., 1, No. 30757, ad. female, +July 27, 1951; Umiat, 152°09'30", 67°22'08", 352 ft., 1, No. 31329, +ad. female, June 26, 1952. + +At Umiat on June 25, 1952, a nest of the wagtail was on the side of a +mound of earth three feet high. The nest, 130 mm in diameter and 14 +grams in weight, was completely protected overhead. The lower half of +the cup, 59 mm in diameter and 35 mm in depth, was lined (3 mm in +thickness) with hair of caribou and brown lemming; the upper half was +of feathers. Beneath the lining of the cup was 38 mm of moss. The +outer nest, 33 mm in thickness, was, of coarse stems of grasses and +other material. The nest was not so carefully constructed nor so well +insulated as nests of tree sparrows, longspurs and snow buntings; it +lacked the fine yellow grasses and symmetrical lamination of the +materials and had more large chunks of material thus producing an +irregular shape. Both male and female remained in the air directly +overhead for 15 minutes as we examined the nest and then followed us +for 100 yards as we left the area. An adult male shot on June 26, was +incubating four eggs. He was 165 mm in length and weighed 19 grams. + +On July 27, 1951, seven days after our arrival at Kaolak, a male and +female were seen for the first time. They flew back and forth overhead +and called as if defending a territory but probably were not as we had +been through this same area many times without either seeing or +hearing these birds; also the female's ovary was undeveloped. + + ++Anthus spinoletta rubescens+ (Tunstall): Water pipit.--Specimens, +3: Mount Mary, S end Lake Peters, 145°10'02", 69°20'30", 2920 ft., 1, +No. 31330, juv. female, August 3, 1952; Wahoo Lake, 146°58', 69°08', +2350 ft., 2, Nos. 31331, female, July 7, 1952 and 31332, ad. male, +July 8, 1952. + +On July 8, 1952, approximately two miles south of Wahoo Lake on a high +divide an adult was feeding a young bird 114 millimeters in total +length and just able feebly to fly. On July 17, 1952, an adult female +was feeding young on top of Mount Annette south of Porcupine Lake. +Numerous insects had converged there--the highest point in the range +of mountains. At Porcupine Lake, we observed water pipits on each of +the five days July 13 to 18, 1952. + +At Lake Peters there was a definite increase in numbers and in +movement of water pipits with the approach of winter. This increase +was correlated with a decrease in temperature and an increase in rain +and snow. The many individuals and family groups, which, prior to our +arrival, were generally distributed on the higher slopes and in the +canyons of the Brooks Range, left the lower snow-covered slopes and +congregated on the lake shore. On July 19, 1952, at the north end of +Lake Peters, for example, we did not see water pipits in their usual +haunts. On July 31 a single individual was noted at the south end of +Lake Peters and on August 3, a single family appeared. On August 10, +the water pipits were the most common bird at the edge of the lake, +five or six usually being seen in a half hour trip. One flock of 14 +bathed in shallow pools along the edge of the lake. These birds in the +last few days had been congregating in small and large groups. On +August 13, on a trip along the west shore line from the south end to +the north end of the lake, the only birds seen were water pipits and +these were in great numbers. On the morning of August 15, there was a +dramatic increase in the number of pipits along the edge of the lake. +Twenty of these birds fed 10 feet in front of our tent and others +perched on its top. A juvenile shot on August 3 on Mount Mary was +approximately the size of the adults, being 162 mm in length and 17 +grams in weight. + +At Chandler Lake (Aug. 12, 1951) pipits fed along the sandy edge of +the lake and among short sedges. These birds also fed on scraps of +food at the entrance of our tent door. From August 10 to 25, water +pipits were more commonly found in the east-west canyons whereas other +kinds of small birds were almost wholly confined to the north-south +valley and were of only accidental occurrence in areas inhabited by +water pipits. + + ++Lanius excubitor invictus+ Grinnell: Northern shrike.--A bird was +noted on August 23 and 25, 1951, in an extensive stand of willows at +Chandler Lake. + +This bird was one of a few birds that had not yet departed from the +area with the advent of winter. + + ++Acanthis flammea holboellii+ (Brehm): Common redpoll.--Specimens, 12: +Topagaruk River, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 1, No. 30767, ad. male, +July 9, 1951; Kaolak River, 159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., 5, Nos. +30762-30766 including 4 ad. males and 1 ad. male (?), July 12, 14, +16-18, 1951; Kaolak, 160°14'51", 69°56'00", 178 ft., 4, Nos. 30758-30761 +including 1 ad. male, 2 ad. females and 1 ad. of unknown sex, July 21, +23, 1951; Umiat, 152°09'30", 69°22'08", 352 ft., 1, No. 31333, ad. +female, June 26, 1952; Wahoo Lake, 146°58', 69°08', 2350 ft., 1, No. +31334, ad. male, July 11, 1952. + +At Umiat on June 26, 1952, a nest of five eggs (embryos with natal +down) was located in a patch of willows that covered approximately two +square meters. As these willows had not as yet acquired leaves, the +nest was clearly visible. It was 300 millimeters from the ground and +so compactly made as to support its own weight. The outer structure +was of various plant fibers and other stems of willows. The cup had an +inwardly reflected rim, was made of stems of cotton-grass, and was +well insulated with 15 mm of down feathers. The measurements of this +circular nest were: entire nest, 78 mm in diameter and 50 mm in depth: +cup, 42 mm in diameter and 35 mm in depth; weight, 9 grams. Another +nest of three eggs from the same area was in a dwarf willow 350 mm +from the ground. The leaves of the willow were undeveloped. A third +nest of six young approximately three days old, was two feet up in a +dwarf willow having no leaves. The young birds in the nest were three +days old. One female 123 mm in length shot on June 26 had ova up to +two mm in diameter. At Umiat (June 28, 1952) a nest of three young and +two eggs was found and on June 30 another nest with one fresh egg. + +At Wahoo Lake (July 3-12, 1952) the redpolls were observed every day +but we considered them relatively uncommon there. + +At Topagaruk (July 5-10, 1951) redpolls were among willows growing on +the sides of a creek channel ten feet below the level of the tundra. +This creek had overflowed in early spring covering the willows. One of +the birds approached us to within five feet and after making a close +inspection returned to the willows. + +Upon our arrival at Kaolak River (July 12, 1951) most of the redpolls +were living among willows and only occasionally flew overhead. On July +15, they were flying in small groups about 100 feet above the ground +and were calling continually. On July 15, on a four hour field trip, +we counted 28 birds. The young birds on this date could fly well. + +At Porcupine Lake these birds were uncommon but a few were seen (July +17, 1952) flying south across divides in the higher mountains. + +At Kaolak (July 20-27, 1951) redpolls were associated with willows +along creeks that had cut channels 20 feet deep. In late July the +flowing water was six feet wide and from a few inches to three or four +feet deep. The first erosional bench supported grasses and sedges and +the slopes were covered with willows from a few inches to seven feet +high. These willows afforded nesting sites for redpolls. In a two-mile +stretch along this creek, which drained east into the Kaolak River +(July 21), there were approximately 200 redpolls, 100 Lapland +longspurs, 80 savannah sparrows, six willow ptarmigans, six pintail +ducks and several other smaller unidentified birds. On this same date +when I walked four miles on the open tundra, there were, of the +smaller birds, only six redpolls, 20 Lapland longspurs and 13 savannah +sparrows. In one interval of 1/3 of a mile, I did not see a single +individual of any of these three species. In the two miles of creek +bottom that I examined, there were several nests that had been used +that spring, several that had been used the year before, and one that +held four eggs containing embryos nine millimeters in length (no +feathers or bone development). Most of the nests were approximately +three feet above ground in willows near the creek. The nest of four +eggs was three feet above the ground, three feet from the edge of the +willows bordering the creek, and 10 feet from the creek proper. The +nest was 10 cm in diameter and 55 mm in height. The cup was 5 cm in +diameter at the upper rim, six cm in width and 35 mm in depth. The +outer base and side were constructed of dry willow sticks, twigs and +grass stems; the main body of the nest was fine grass stems, rootlets +and a few mosses. This lining was a layer 18 mm thick of white +feathers. The weight of this nest was 12 grams. The four eggs measured +19.2 × 12.9, 18.3 × 12.5, 18.3 × 12.8, 17.7 × 12.9. This nest of four +eggs was either a second nesting or an interrupted or exceptionally +late first nesting of redpoll on the Arctic Slope. Two abandoned nests +200 feet apart were in willows along the edge of an oxbow lake at +Gavia Lake (August 23, 1952). + +On August 10, 1952, at the south end of Lake Peters, there was only a +slight increase in the number of redpolls over the previous week. At +Chandler Lake (Aug. 25, 1951) a few redpolls were among willows, this +was the first time in 15 days that we had noted these birds. One +redpoll was taken in a trap at Umiat on August 30, 1951. + +The testes of six adult males (average 14(13-15) grams in body weight +and that were shot at several localities on the Arctic Slope from July +9 to July 28, 1951) averaged five mm in length. + + ++Spinus pinus pinus+ (Wilson): Pine siskin.--An adult male, which +weighed 12 grams, was caught in a trap at Chandler Lake on August 14, +1951. The testes were two mm long. + + ++Passerculus sandwichensis anthinus+ Bonaparte: Savannah +sparrow.--Specimens, 19: Kaolak, 160°14'51", 69°56'00", 178 ft., 12, +Nos. 30770-30781 including 3 ad. males, 3 juv. males, 4 ad. females, 1 +juv. female and 1 ad. female (?), July 21-23, 25, 26, 1951; Gavia +Lake, 150°00', 69°35', 460 ft., 1, No. 31336, juv. male, August 22, +1952; Wahoo Lake, 146°58', 69°08', 2350 ft., 1, No. 31337, ad. male, +July 5, 1952; Porcupine Lake, 146°29'50", 68°51'57", 3140 ft., 1, No. +31339, ad. female, July 13, 1952; Driftwood, Utukok River, 161°12'10", +68°53'47", 1200 ft., 1 (skin) No. 31338, male and 1, No. 31335, ad. +female, August 29, 1952; Chandler Lake, 152°45', 68°12', 2900 ft., 2, +Nos. 30768-30769, 1 ad. male and 1 juv. male, August 10, 15, 1951. + +Savannah sparrows were caught in traps in the following communities: +damp meadow of sedges, Chandler Lake, August 10, 1951; among sedges +bordering a lake, Wahoo Lake, July 5, 1952; damp to wet meadow of +sedges, grasses, and hummocks of cotton-grass, Porcupine Lake, July +14, 1952; along the edge of a deeply incised stream running through a +marsh, Porcupine Lake, July 16, 1952. + +At Kaolak (July 21, 1951) on a windy day the greater number of +savannah sparrows were in protected valleys of willows along the +creeks and not on the open tundra where they are normally found. In a +two mile course along one creek there were 80 birds, whereas on the +open tundra there were, in four miles, only 13 birds. + +Weights of 10 males and 10 females, shot in the period July 14-August +29, 1951, at several localities on the Arctic Slope were: male +20(17-24), female 18(16-20) grams. In an adult male, shot on July 22 +at Kaolak, the testes were two mm long but in other males, shot in the +period July 14-August 29, the testes averaged 1.2 mm. The ovaries of +adult females for this same period also had receded to normal +non-breeding size. Juveniles on July 13 at Porcupine Lake averaged 20 +grams in weight; the shortest was 125 mm in total length and the +largest 140 mm. Adults in this same period averaged 144 mm in total +length. Two adult males collected on July 22 and 24, 1951, at Kaolak, +were molting. + + ++Spizella arborea ochracea+ Brewster: Tree sparrow.--Specimens, 10: +Gavia Lake, N White Hills, 150°00', 69°35', 460 ft., 1, No. 31340, +juv. male, August 22, 1952; 9/10 mi. N and 9/10 mi. W Umiat, +152°10'58", 69°22'53", 380 ft., 1, No. 31347, ad. female, July 1, +1952; Umiat, 152°09'30", 69°22'08", 352 ft., 1, No. 31341, ad. male, +June 26, 1952; Wahoo Lake, 146°58', 69°08', 2350 ft., Nos. +31342-31343, ad. males, July 6, 8, 1952; Driftwood, Utukok River, +161°12'10", 68°53'47", 1200 ft., 2 (skins) Nos. 31345, ad. male, +August 29, 1952, and 31346, ad. female, August 28, 1952, and 1, No. +31344, ad. male, August 28, 1952; Chandler Lake, 152°45', 68°12', 2900 +ft., 2, Nos. 30783, juv. male, 30784, a juv. of unknown sex, August +19, 1951. + +Four adult males shot in the period July 1-15, at Umiat, Wahoo and +Porcupine lakes averaged 158(155-165) mm in total length and 18(16-18) +grams in weight whereas 12 adult males (Aug. 14-31) from Chandler +Lake, Umiat, Gavia Lake and Driftwood averaged 161(156-165) mm in +length and 19(16-21) grams in weight. A male (June 26) from Umiat was +160 mm long, weighed 15 grams, and had testes 4 mm long. Males from +Wahoo Lake (July 6 and 8) had testes 9 and 5 mm long. Males (August +19) from Chandler Lake were molting on the entire body. + +On June 24, 1952, at Umiat, we examined three nests. One of the three +contained incubated eggs; skeletal elements were present in the +embryos. This nest, 150 mm in diameter and 52 mm in depth, was on the +side of a mound three feet high covered with grass. The cup was 55 mm +in diameter. The lining, 14 mm thick, was ptarmigan feathers averaging +one inch long mixed with successive layers of stems of fine grass. The +cup weighed four grams and rested directly on the ground. The outer +part of the nest was coarse stems of a grass and was 30 mm thick. The +edge and upper side, away from the mound, had a 40-millimeter +thickness of mosses and lichens that may have served primarily as +camouflage rather than as insulation. The nest, minus the lining +weighed nine grams. The second nest held four eggs containing embryos. +The top was flush with the surface of the ground on a slightly +elevated bench on a hillside supporting _Ledum_, _Vaccinium_, _Alnus_, +mosses and lichens. The greatest width of the nest was 120 mm; the +lining, 11-millimeters thick, was of ptarmigan feathers succeeded by +13 mm of alternating layers of new dry grass stems and ptarmigan +feathers. The down-slope side of the nest was protected by 29 mm of +sphagnum, old grass stems and other dry plant material. The third nest +of four eggs was among grasses at the base of a willow. The new leaves +on this willow were just visible and the catkins had attained full +growth. + +The earliest date that juvenal tree sparrows were noted in the field +was on July 10, 1952, at Wahoo Lake. One juvenile shot on this date +was 85 mm long and could not fly. The parent bird was still attending +the young bird. + +Tree sparrows on the Arctic Slope usually live among high dwarf +willows at the mouths of canyons. At Porcupine Lake (July 13-18, 1952) +however, they inhabited marshes of sedges, grasses and hummocks of +cotton-grass. At night they roosted in depressions in the ground or +between hummocks of sedges, where, without overhead protections they +endured temperatures of as low as 34 degrees Fahrenheit. + +In one mile of a glaciated canyon southwest of the south end of +Chandler Lake (Aug. 19, 1951) tree sparrows were the commonest species +but there were few birds of any kind there. This canyon extended in an +east-west direction and was bordered by high mountains, the sun being +excluded in early morning and late afternoon. In the valley of +Chandler Lake, on the same day, the tree sparrows were numerous +especially among willows on the side of the valley. On this date there +was an abrupt increase in numbers of tree sparrows; the number of +Lapland longspurs and wheatears was less than a week before. On August +22, we did not see tree sparrows at Chandler Lake whereas three days +earlier there were hundreds in the area. On August 23 only 15 were +noted and these were in willows. On August 25, only a single bird was +noted. + +At Umiat (Aug. 30, 1951) a few tree sparrows were present. In this +area (Sept. 1) the birches were turning a brilliant red, even more +brilliant than on the previous day. The large alders were nearly all +yellow. The season was not so far advanced here, however, as at +Chandler Lake on August 25. At Driftwood tree sparrows were noted from +August 27 to 31 inclusive. On August 28 a flock of 12 was observed. + + ++Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii+ (Nuttall): White-crowned +sparrow.--Specimens, 3: Mount Mary, S Lake Peters, 145°10'02", +68°20'30", 2920 ft., 1, No. 31348, juv. female, August 3, 1952; +Driftwood, Utukok, 161°12'10", 68°53'47", 1200 ft., 1 (skin) No. +31349, ad. male, August 29, 1952; Chandler Lake, 152°45', 68°12', 2900 +ft., 1, No. 30786, an ad. of unknown sex, August 19, 1951. + +On the north side of the valley at Umiat, the white-crowned sparrows +were calling (June 27, 1952) throughout the day. At Wahoo Lake (July +3-11, 1952) singing birds were frequently heard on south-facing slopes +of the valley. At Lake Peters (Aug. 3, 1952) one bird was at the base +of a moraine some distance from willows or high vegetation. Only two +birds were seen at Chandler Lake (Aug. 19 and 25, 1952); they were +feeding in a dense growth of willows. The juvenal female shot on +August 3, 1952, at Mount Mary was 180 mm long and weighed 26 grams. + + ++Zonotrichia atricapilla+ (Gmelin): Golden-crowned sparrow.--Specimen, +1: Chandler Lake, 152°45', 68°12', 2900 ft., No. 30787, ad. male, August +19, 1951. + + ++Passerella iliaca zaboria+ Oberholser: Fox sparrow.--Specimen, 1: +Driftwood, Utukok River, 161°12'10", 68°53'47", 1200 ft., No. 31350 +(skin), male, August 29, 1952. + +At 1/10 mile west and 9/10 mile east of Umiat (June 30, 1952) a nest +the top of which was flush with the ground in a clearing among willows +and alders, both bare of leaves, had four young approximately five +days old. At Driftwood (Aug. 29, 1952) a male was caught in a mouse +trap in the same area where a male was singing on the previous day. At +the time the male was trapped a female sat on low vegetation only a +few feet from the trap that held the dead bird. + + ++Calcarius lapponicus alascensis+ Ridgway: Lapland +longspur.--Specimens, 75: NE Teshekpuk Lake, 153°05'40", 70°39'40", 8 +ft., 22, Nos. 30827-30848 including 10 ad. males, 9 juv. males, 2 ad. +females and 1 juv. female, July 29, 30, August 1, 3, 1951; Topagaruk +River, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 13, Nos. 30849-30861 including 9 ad. +males and 4 ad. females, July 6, 8, 10, 1951; Kaolak River, +159°47'40", 70°11'15", 30 ft., 18, Nos. 30809-30826 including 2 ad. +males, 10 juv. males, 3 ad. females and 3 juv. females, July 12, 14, +17, 1951; Kaolak, 160°14'51", 69°56'00", 178 ft., 13, Nos. 30796-30808 +including 4 ad. males, 4 juv. males, 5 juv. females, July 20-27, 1951; +Gavia Lake, 150°00', 69°35', 460 ft., 1, No. 31351, female, August 22, +1952; Umiat, 152°09'30", 69°22'08", 352 ft., 1, No. 31352, female, +June 26, 1952; Chandler Lake, 152°45', 68°12', 2900 ft., 7, Nos. +30789-30795 including 1 ad. male, 1 juv. male, 1 ad. female, 4 juv. +females, August 11, 12, 16, 18, 23, 1951. + +The Lapland longspur and snow bunting were two of the early arrivals +on the Arctic Slope of northern Alaska. Robert McKinley told us that +this species of longspur arrived at Barrow Village shortly after April +20, 1952. On our arrival at Point Barrow on June 14, 1952, longspurs +already were established on territories, and many of the birds had +full complements of fresh eggs, although snow still covered the lakes +and all but a few mounds and high points of the tundra. + +On June 17, 1952, on the west side of Salt Water Lagoon, in an area of +approximately six acres of raised polygons we located eight nests of +the Lapland longspur. The first contained five fresh eggs, and its top +was flush with the bare ground in an old excavation made by brown +lemmings between three bunches of cotton-grass. Fecal pellets of the +brown lemming were beneath the nest. The bulk of the nest was soiled +grasses which insulated the bottom and sides of the nest from the damp +soil. This supporting bulk was lined first with stems of new yellow +grass, and then with white down feathers of the snowy owl. The female +repeatedly repelled the male from the immediate vicinity of the nest. +After observing the nest for a few minutes I moved it one foot. The +female returned three times to the original site of the nest, ignoring +the nest nearby. On the fourth trip, six minutes after the original +nest was taken, she returned with feathers in her bill and started to +line the original depression. + +The second nest, superimposed on a nest of the previous year, held six +fresh eggs and was under an overhanging piece of tundra sod. The cup +was entirely beneath the sod but the outer rim of the nest was +exposed. The nest faced northwest and was 100 centimeters above the +general level of the tundra. Measurements, in millimeters, of this +nest were: height, 52; width, 120; inside diameter of cup, 50; depth +of cup, 30; width of layer of fine grasses and feathers of cup, 16. In +cross section successive layers of nest material from outside in were +as follows: mosses; old, dry, brownish-gray grasses; new, fine, +loosely arranged, yellow grasses; down feathers of the snowy owl. The +first two layers were on only one side and did not extend under the +cup of the nest. The cup was lined with 12 down feathers of the snowy +owl. + +The third nest, containing six fresh eggs, was at the edge of a clump +of cotton-grass and was exposed from directly above. The lining of the +cup of white feathers and dry lichens was against the soil. Two layers +of dry brownish-gray grasses and dry mosses were outward extensions +from the cup. + +The greater part of the third nest was stems of the grass _Dupontia +fischeri_; newer yellow stems were near the cup and the older stems +were toward the periphery. The measurements (in millimeters) of this +nest were: height, 60; width, 210; width of cup, 50; depth of cup, 40. + +A fourth nest of three fresh eggs held four eggs the following day. A +fifth nest of six fresh eggs was only 10 centimeters from a well-used +trail of a brown lemming and within 1/3 of a meter from the +underground nest of the lemming. This longspur nest, among polygons of +low hummocks, was bordered by mosses and grasses nine inches high. The +sixth nest held five fresh eggs. Its top was flush with the ground and +the nest was protected by an overhead canopy of _Dupontia fischeri_. A +seventh nest, containing six fresh eggs, was among pieces of tundra +displaced by a vehicle. Only the outer edge of this nest was exposed +from above. The cup was lined with white feathers and with the hair of +_Rangifer_. On June 20, an eighth nest of five fresh eggs was located +near the above. The nest was 1/3 concealed under overhead protection. + +At a point 1-2/5 miles south and 3/5 of a mile east of Barrow Village +(June 20, 1952) we examined a ninth nest, containing six fresh eggs, +among raised polygons. It was circular and the cup was centrally +placed. The entire nest weighed 14 grams; the inner cup of fine stems +of grass and white feathers weighed two grams. The nest was 118 mm +wide; the cup was 56 mm wide and 38 mm deep. The outer structure of +last year's nest, mosses and larger gray stems of grass, was 30 mm +wide. Enroute to this locality from Barrow Village we saw only two +longspurs (2:00 P.M.) and only three on the return trip. + +At a place 9/10 mile east and 8/10 mile north of Barrow Village (June +23, 1952) a tenth nest, containing five fresh eggs, was noted in a +lemming runway that had been enlarged from a soil fracture. The top of +the nest was flush with the surface of the ground and there was no +overhead protection. This nest had the least nesting material of any +nest of this species examined to date; there was no nesting material +of any kind on the sides adjoining the walls of the fracture. At Umiat +(June 26, 1952) an eleventh nest, containing six eggs, was so placed +that its top was flush with the surface of a raised polygon, and +closely resembled those at Point Barrow except that the cup was lined +with brown and white feathers of the willow ptarmigan. Additional data +are as follows: weight of entire nest, 20 grams; weight of inner cup, +7 grams; diameter of cup, 65 mm; depth of cup, 30 mm; width of entire +nest, 100 mm. As was usual with other nests of this species, the outer +edge of one side was covered with moss. + +In the period July 13-August 15, from several localities on the Arctic +Slope, Lapland longspurs were caught in traps (20 feet apart) set in +linear lines among sedges. The average distance between traps catching +longspurs was 1400 feet. Other Lapland longspurs observed in the same +period at these same localities averaged one per 400 feet of walking +on my part. The greatest number of longspurs trapped was at Kaolak on +July 24, 1951; 100 traps yielded 6 longspurs. The greatest number +observed--one per 100 feet--was at Topagaruk on July 5, 1951. Although +the longspur on the Arctic Slope is the most common bird, it is absent +from some areas there. On each of two trips (July 29-30) across one +mile of upland plateau between Barrier Lake and Teshekpuk Lake, we did +not see longspurs. This plateau is a travel lane maintained by +caribou. + +Juveniles were first trapped on July 5, 1951, at Topagaruk; others +were observed on this date but they could not fly. The first juvenile +noted in flight was on July 9, also at Topagaruk. The increase of +juveniles there caused the longspur to be the most common bird in the +field (50 per cent in abundance). On July 15 at Kaolak River, most of +the longspurs noted were juveniles, but they were able to fly well. +The adult males and females, which were molting at this time, were +more secretive in their movements than longspurs at Topagaruk on July +5. Adult males were molting as early as July 2 at Kaolak. On July 25 +at Kaolak longspurs were mainly in groups of five or six; others were +in groups of 18 or more. As late as August 21 (Gavia Lake) longspurs +were still in family groups or occurred as singles. + +At Chandler Lake, the decrease in numbers of Lapland longspurs was +synchronized with autumnal changes in weather. On August 15, 1951, the +longspurs were numerous; 40 or 50 individuals were seen in the course +of an hour's walk. On August 19 there was a noticeable decrease in +numbers of individuals and by August 22, only three were seen. In this +period of decreasing numbers, they were more numerous and active in +the morning than in the evening or in inclement weather. The behavior +pattern of leaving the ground with an audible commotion and flapping +of wings on the vegetation also was characteristic of this period of +decreasing numbers of the longspur population. At ½ mile south of the +Arctic Research Laboratory (Sept. 7, 1952) only a single longspur was +noted. + +The short-eared owl and especially the pigeon hawk consistently preyed +on longspurs. + +Only one longspur (an adult female No. 30854) in 75 specimens examined +had the bone of the skull damaged by parasites. + +Adult males are larger than adult females (July). In the breeding +season adult females average 3 grams lighter than males. In the latter +part of summer, however, females "catch up" in weight with the males. +As early as the middle of July, juveniles are nearly as large as +adults in cranial measurements. The increase in weight in juveniles +was from 21.5(18-25) in ten juvenal males shot in the period July +12-16, at Kaolak River to 25.2(22-27) grams in nine juvenal males shot +in the period July 29-August 2 at Teshekpuk Lake. + +The testes of adults gradually decrease in size from July to August; +their average length was 7.7(4.0-12.0) mm in nine adult males shot in +the period July 6-10 at Topagaruk but only 2.2(1.5-3.0) in six adult +males shot in the period July 12-26, at Kaolak and Kaolak River. By +August 1, at Teshekpuk Lake the testes of nine adult males averaged +1.4(1.0-1.5) in total length, which is only slightly larger than the +average size of the testes 1.2(1.0-2.0) of nine juveniles shot in the +period July 29-Aug. 2, at Teshekpuk Lake. + + ++Calcarius pictus+ (Swainson): Smith's longspur.--Specimens, 2: +Wahoo Lake, 146°58', 69°08', 2350 ft., No. 31353, ad. male, July 9 +and No. 31354, ad. female, July 7, 1952. + +On July 7, 1952, at Wahoo Lake, a single longspur was trapped in one +of 200 traps set for small mammals. On July 9, a line of 120 traps set +in a community of cotton-grass, other sedges, grasses and dwarf willow +also yielded one longspur--an adult male 172 mm long that weighed 28 +grams. Smith's longspurs were uncommon at Wahoo Lake from July 3 to +July 11, and when seen were associated with open tundra supporting +cotton-grass, generally on flat areas adjacent to the lake. Singing +from the air was heard on several occasions. On the alluvial outwash, +between Lake Peters and Lake Schrader, two Smith's longspurs were +recorded on July 24, 1952, and flocks of 11-16-18-20 were seen there +in the damp meadows on August 13, 1952. Those seen on the latter date +had moved into the area since July 23, when we first arrived. + + ++Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis+ (Linnaeus): Snow bunting.--Specimens, 6: +Topagaruk, 155°48', 70°34', 10 ft., 5, Nos. 30862-30866 including 4 ad. +males and 1 ad. female, July 6, 7, 9, 10, 1951; Mount Mary, S end Lake +Peters, 145°10'02", 69°20'30", 2920 ft., 1, No. 31355, August 1, 1952. + +Robert McKinley reported to us that snow buntings were at Barrow +Village at least as early as April 20, 1952, when snow covered most of +the ground. On June 14, 1952, at Birnirk mounds when snow still +covered most of the ground, snow buntings were already established on +territories. + +At Point Barrow (June 21, 1952), the most northerly extension of land +on the Arctic Slope of northern Alaska, five pairs of snow bunting +were nesting in abandoned subterranean Eskimo houses. The houses were +in different stages of deterioration from one almost usable by man to +one that was no more than a flattened mound. Sides of some houses were +exposed by the sea cliff that was advancing inland. Logs and skulls of +baleen whales had been set on end for walls, and mandibles and ribs of +whales had been used as rafters. This framework had been covered with +tundra sod. Most of the nests were between the roof support and the +upper ends of the whale skulls. Each nest contained five fresh eggs +and was completely protected from rain, sun and wind. One nest weighed +24 grams and measured (in millimeters) 155 wide, 68 high, 38 in depth +of cup, 70 in width of cup, and was in the brain cavity of the +cranium. Another nest on top of a skull in the interior room, weighed +24 grams. This nest was built upon material of a nest of the previous +year. The old material weighed four grams and the new inner mass +weighed 20 grams. The new nest consisted of successive layers of new +yellow grass stems and feathers. The lining of the cup had feathers in +the 20 mm-thick layer of fine hairlike plant fibers. The feathers were +from birds larger than the bunting. The nest was well insulated in +comparison with those of the Lapland longspur, but like most of those +had the cup offset toward the inner side of the nest, and more nest +material of large size outward toward the entrance, than elsewhere. In +the same area, especially in grass on and around low mounds, there +were approximately 50 brown lemmings (18 lemming nests examined), many +of which used the mounds inhabited by the bunting. On August 26, in +the same area at Point Barrow, we noted 28 birds feeding and resting +but on September 11 found none there. + +A nest of five young (July 4, 1951) at a place 1/5 mile south of the +Arctic Research Laboratory was under an overhanging ledge of an unused +burrow of a brown lemming. The burrow had been excavated by lemmings +on a mound of earth thrown up by a bulldozer. An adult female snow +bunting was carrying insects to the nest and fecal pellets away from +it. Another nest of five young (July 4) was in a fifty gallon oil +drum. An adult female gained entrance to the nest through a small hole +on the side of the container, the only hole present. Other nests on +this date were examined that contained both eggs and young, or eggs, +or young. Most of these nests were in holes in the ground or under the +protection of overhanging ledges of earth. On July 4, snow buntings +were in their black and white plumage, but on July 27, were in +brown-white plumage. + +At Topagaruk (July 5, 1951) a nest containing young birds fully +feathered was noted five feet above the ground in a horizontal pipe +six inches in diameter. One dead bird, two to three days old, was in +the water and mud at the base of the stack of pipes. Other young birds +from other family groups had short tails and were capable of feeble +flight. Adults were seen only in the immediate vicinity of the camp. + +The average weight of four adult males shot in the period July 6-10, +1951, was 36 grams. The average length of their testes was +9.2(7.0-11.0) mm. + +At Kaolak (July 21-27, 1951) we did not see the snow bunting. The +camp, however, was built the previous winter and was inhabited (July +10) for the first time in summer. The birds were at Topagaruk, our +collecting station next nearest to the eastward in the same general +type of environment and we assumed that eventually the birds would +become established at Kaolak. + +A juvenal female shot on August 1, 1952, at Mount Mary was 183 mm long +and weighed 34 grams. + + +_Transmitted November 14, 1957._ + + + + +UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLICATIONS + +MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY + + +Institutional libraries interested in publications exchange may obtain +this series by addressing the Exchange Librarian, University of Kansas +Library, Lawrence, Kansas. Copies for individuals, persons working in +a particular field of study, may be obtained by addressing instead the +Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. +There is no provision for sale of this series by the University +Library which meets institutional requests, or by the Museum of +Natural History which meets the requests of individuals. However, when +individuals request copies from the Museum, 25 cents should be +included, for each separate number that is 100 pages or more in +length, for the purpose of defraying the costs of wrapping and +mailing. + + + * An asterisk designates those numbers of which the Museum's + supply (not the Library's supply) is exhausted. Numbers published + to date, in this series, are as follows: + + Vol. 1, Nos. 1-26 and index. Pp. 1-638, 1946-1950. + + *Vol 2. (Complete) Mammals of Washington. By Walter W. Dalquest. + Pp. 1-444, 140 figures in text. April 9, 1948. + + Vol. 3. *1. The avifauna of Micronesia, its origin, evolution, and + distribution. By Rollin H. Baker. Pp. 1-359, 16 figures + in text. June 12, 1951. + + *2. A quantitative study of the nocturnal migration of birds. + By George H. Lowery, Jr. Pp. 361-472, 47 figures in text. + June 29, 1951. + + 3. Phylogeny of the waxwings and allied birds. By M. Dale + Arvey. Pp. 473-530, 49 figures in text, 13 tables. + October 10, 1951. + + 4. Birds from the state of Veracruz, Mexico. By George H. + Lowery, Jr. and Walter W. Dalquest. Pp. 531-649, + 7 figures in text, 2 tables. October 10, 1951. + + Index. Pp. 651-681. + + *Vol. 4. (Complete) American weasels. By E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 1-466, + 41 plates, 31 figures in text. December 27, 1951. + + Vol. 5. 1. Preliminary survey of a Paleocene faunule from the + Angels Peak area, New Mexico. By Robert W. Wilson. + Pp. 1-11, 1 figure in text. February 24, 1951. + + 2. Two new moles (Genus Scalopus) from Mexico and Texas. + By Rollin H. Baker. Pp. 17-24. February 28, 1951. + + 3. Two new pocket gophers from Wyoming and Colorado. + By E. Raymond Hall and H. Gordon Montague. Pp. 25-32. + February 28, 1951. + + 4. Mammals obtained by Dr. Curt von Wedel from the barrier + beach of Tamaulipas, Mexico. By E. Raymond Hall. + Pp. 33-47, 1 figure in text. October 1, 1951. + + 5. Comments on the taxonomy and geographic distribution of + some North American rabbits. By E. Raymond Hall and + Keith R. Kelson. Pp. 49-58. October 1, 1951. + + 6. Two new subspecies of Thomomys bottae from New Mexico + and Colorado. By Keith R. Kelson. Pp. 59-71, 1 figure in + text. October 1, 1951. + + 7. A new subspecies of Microtus montanus from Montana and + comments on Microtus canicaudus Miller. By E. Raymond + Hall and Keith R. Kelson. Pp. 73-79. October 1, 1951. + + 8. A new pocket gopher (Genus Thomomys) from eastern + Colorado. By E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 81-85. October 1, 1951. + + 9. Mammals taken along the Alaskan Highway. By Rollin H. + Baker. Pp. 87-117, 1 figure in text. November 28, 1951. + + *10. A synopsis of the North American Lagomorpha. By E. + Raymond Hall. Pp. 119-202, 68 figures in text. + December 15, 1951. + + 11. A new pocket mouse (Genus Perognathus) from Kansas. + By E. Lendell Cockrum. Pp. 203-206. December 15, 1951. + + 12. Mammals from Tamaulipas, Mexico. By Rollin H. Baker. + Pp. 207-218. December 15, 1951. + + 13. A new pocket gopher (Genus Thomomys) from Wyoming and + Colorado. By E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 219-222. + December 15, 1951. + + 14. A new name for the Mexican red bat. By E. Raymond Hall. + Pp. 223-226. December 15, 1951. + + 15. Taxonomic notes on Mexican bats of the Genus Rhogeëssa. + By E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 227-232. April 10, 1952. + + 16. Comments on the taxonomy and geographic distribution of + some North American woodrats (Genus Neotoma). By Keith R. + Kelson. Pp. 233-242. April 10, 1952. + + 17. The subspecies of the Mexican red-bellied squirrel, + Sciurus aureogaster. By Keith R. Kelson. Pp. 243-250, + 1 figure in text. April 10, 1952. + + 18. Geographic range of Peromyscus melanophrys, with + description of new subspecies. By Rollin H. Baker. + Pp. 251-258, 1 figure in text. May 10, 1952. + + 19. A new chipmunk (Genus Eutamias) from the Black Hills. + By John A. White. Pp. 259-262. April 10, 1952. + + 20. A new piñon mouse (Peromyscus truei) from Durango, + Mexico. By Robert B. Finley, Jr. Pp. 263-267. + May 23, 1952. + + 21. An annotated checklist of Nebraskan bats. By Olin L. + Webb and J. Knox Jones, Jr. Pp. 269-279. May 31, 1952. + + 22. Geographic variation in red-backed mice (Genus + Clethrionomys) of the southern Rocky Mountain region. + By E. Lendell Cockrum and Kenneth L. Fitch. Pp. 281-292, + 1 figure in text. November 15, 1952. + + 23. Comments on the taxonomy and geographic distribution of + North American microtines. By E. Raymond Hall and + E. Lendell Cockrum. Pp. 293-312. November 17, 1952. + + 24. The subspecific status of two Central American sloths. + By E. Raymond Hall and Keith R. Kelson. Pp. 313-337. + November 21, 1952. + + 25. Comments on the taxonomy and geographic distribution of + some North American marsupials, insectivores, and + carnivores. By E. Raymond Hall and Keith R. Kelson. + Pp. 319-341. December 5, 1952. + + 26. Comments on the taxonomy and geographic distribution of + some North American rodents. By E. Raymond Hall and + Keith R. Kelson. Pp. 343-371. December 15, 1952. + + 27. A synopsis of the North American microtine rodents. + By E. Raymond Hall and E. Lendell Cockrum. Pp. 373-498, + 149 figures in text. January 15, 1953. + + 28. The pocket gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Coahuila, Mexico. + By Rollin H. Baker. Pp. 499-514, 1 figure in text. + June 1, 1953. + + 29. Geographic distribution of the pocket mouse, Perognathus + fasciatus. By J. Knox Jones, Jr. Pp. 515-526, 7 figures + in text. August 1, 1953. + + 30. A new subspecies of wood rat (Neotoma mexicana) from + Colorado. By Robert B. Finley, Jr. Pp. 527-534, 2 figures + in text. August 15, 1953. + + 31. Four new pocket gophers of the genus Cratogeomys from + Jalisco, Mexico. By Robert J. Russell. Pp. 535-542. + October 15, 1953. + + 32. Genera and subgenera of chipmunks. By John A. White. + Pp. 543-561, 12 figures in text. December 1, 1953. + + 33. Taxonomy of the chipmunks, Eutamias quadrivittatus and + Eutamias umbrinus. By John A. White. Pp. 563-582, + 6 figures in text. December 1, 1953. + + 34. Geographic distribution and taxonomy of the chipmunks of + Wyoming. By John A. White. Pp. 584-610, 3 figures in text. + December 1, 1953. + + 35. The baculum of the chipmunks of western North America. + By John A. White. Pp. 611-631, 19 figures in text. + December 1, 1953. + + 36. Pleistocene Soricidae from San Josecito Cave, Nuevo Leon, + Mexico. By James S. Findley. Pp. 633-639. December 1, 1953. + + 37. Seventeen species of bats recorded from Barro Colorado + Island, Panama Canal Zone. By E. Raymond Hall and + William B. Jackson. Pp. 641-646. December 1, 1953. + + Index. Pp. 647-676. + + Vol. 6. (Complete) Mammals of Utah, _taxonomy and distribution_. + By Stephen D. Durrant. Pp. 1-549, 91 figures in text, + 30 tables. August 10, 1952. + + Vol. 7. *1. Mammals of Kansas. By E. Lendell Cockrum. Pp. 1-303, + 73 figures in text, 37 tables. August 25, 1952. + + 2. Ecology of the opossum on a natural area in northeastern + Kansas. By Henry S. Fitch and Lewis L. Sandidge. + Pp. 305-338, 5 figures in text. August 24, 1953. + + 3. The silky pocket mice (Perognathus flavus) of Mexico. + By Rollin H. Baker. Pp. 339-347, 1 figure in text. + February 15, 1954. + + 4. North American jumping mice (Genus Zapus). By Philip H. + Krutzsch. Pp. 349-472, 47 figures in text, 4 tables. + April 21, 1954. + + 5. Mammals from Southeastern Alaska. By Rollin H. Baker and + James S. Findley. Pp. 473-477. April 21, 1954. + + 6. Distribution of Some Nebraskan Mammals. By J. Knox Jones, + Jr. Pp. 479-487. April 21, 1954. + + 7. Subspeciation in the montane meadow mouse, Microtus + montanus, in Wyoming and Colorado. By Sydney Anderson. + Pp. 489-506, 2 figures in text. July 23, 1954. + + 8. A new subspecies of bat (Myotis velifer) from + southeastern California and Arizona. By Terry A. Vaughn. + Pp. 507-512. July 23, 1954. + + 9. Mammals of the San Gabriel mountains of California. + By Terry A. Vaughn. Pp. 513-582, 1 figure in text, + 12 tables. November 15, 1954. + + 10. A new bat (Genus Pipistrellus) from northeastern Mexico. + By Rollin H. Baker. Pp. 583-586. November 15, 1954. + + 11. A new subspecies of pocket mouse from Kansas. By + E. Raymond Hall. Pp. 587-590. November 15, 1954. + + 12. Geographic variation in the pocket gopher, Cratogeomys + castanops, in Coahuila, Mexico. By Robert J. Russell and + Rollin H. Baker. Pp. 591-608. March 15, 1955. + + 13. A new cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) from + northeastern Mexico. By Rollin H. Baker. Pp. 609-612. + April 8, 1955. + + 14. Taxonomy and distribution of some American shrews. + By James S. Findley. Pp. 613-618. June 10, 1955. + + 15. The pigmy woodrat, Neotoma goldmani, its distribution + and systematic position. By Dennis G. Rainey and Rollin + H. Baker. Pp. 619-624, 2 figs. in text. June 10, 1955. + + Index. Pp. 625-651. + + Vol 8. 1. Life history and ecology of the five-lined skink, + Eumeces fasciatus. By Henry S. Fitch. Pp. 1-156, 26 figs. + in text. September 1, 1954. + + 2. Myology and serology of the Avian Family Fringillidae, a + taxonomic study. By William B. Stallcup. Pp. 157-211, + 23 figures in text, 4 tables. November 15, 1954. + + 3. An ecological study of the collared lizard (Crotaphytus + collaris). By Henry S. Fitch. Pp. 213-274, 10 figures in + text. February 10, 1956. + + 4. A field study of the Kansas ant-eating frog, Gastrophryne + olivacea. By Henry S. Fitch. Pp. 275-306, 9 figures in + text. February 10, 1956. + + 5. Check-list of the birds of Kansas. By Harrison B. + Tordoff. Pp. 307-359, 1 figure in text. March 10, 1956. + + 6. A population study of the prairie vole (Microtus + ochrogaster) in northeastern Kansas. By Edwin P. Martin. + Pp. 361-416, 19 figures in text. April 2, 1956. + + 7. Temperature responses in free-living amphibians and + reptiles of northeastern Kansas. By Henry S. Fitch. + Pp. 417-476, 10 figures in text, 6 tables. June 1, 1956. + + 8. Food of the crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm, in + south-central Kansas. By Dwight Platt. Pp. 477-498, + 4 tables. June 8, 1956. + + 9. Ecological observations on the woodrat, Neotoma + floridana. By Henry S. Fitch and Dennis G. Rainey. + Pp. 499-533, 3 figures in text. June 12, 1956. + + 10. Eastern woodrat, Neotoma floridana: Life history and + ecology. By Dennis G. Rainey. Pp. 535-646, 12 plates, + 13 figures in text August 15, 1956. + + Index. Pp. 647-675. + + Vol. 9. 1. Speciation of the wandering shrew. By James S. Findley. + Pp. 1-68, 18 figures in text. December 10, 1955. + + 2. Additional records and extensions of ranges of mammals + from Utah. By Stephen D. Durrant, M. Raymond Lee, and + Richard M. Hansen. Pp. 69-80. December 10, 1955. + + 3. A new long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis) from northeastern + Mexico. By Rollin H. Baker and Howard J. Stains. + Pp. 81-84. December 10, 1955. + + 4. Subspeciation in the meadow mouse, Microtus + pennsylvanicus, in Wyoming. By Sydney Anderson. + Pp. 85-104, 2 figures in text. May 10, 1956. + + 5. The condylarth genus Ellipsodon. By Robert W. Wilson. + Pp. 105-116, 6 figures in text. May 19, 1956. + + 6. Additional remains of the multituberculate genus + Eucosmodon. By Robert W. Wilson. Pp. 117-123, 10 figures + in text. May 19, 1956. + + 7. Mammals of Coahuila Mexico. By Rollin H. Baker. + Pp. 125-335, 75 figures in text. June 15, 1956. + + 8. Comments on the taxonomic status of Apodemus peninsulae, + with description of a new subspecies from North China. + By J. Knox Jones, Jr. Pp. 337-346, 1 figure in text, + 1 table. August 15, 1956. + + 9. Extensions of known ranges of Mexican bats. By Sydney + Anderson, Pp. 347-351. August 15, 1956. + + 10. A new bat (Genus Leptonycteris) from Coahuila. By Howard + J. Stains. Pp. 353-356. January 21, 1957. + + 11. A new species of pocket gopher (Genus Pappogeomys) from + Jalisco, México. By Robert J. Russell. Pp. 357-361. + January 21, 1957. + + More numbers will appear in volume 9. + + Vol 10. 1. Studies of birds killed in nocturnal migration. + By Harrison B. Tordoff and Robert M. Mengel. Pp. 1-44, + 6 figures in text, 2 tables. September 12, 1956. + + 2. Comparative breeding behavior of Ammospiza caudacuta and + A. maritima. By Glen E. Woolfenden. Pp. 45-75, 6 plates, + 1. figure. December 20, 1956. + + 3. The forest habitat of the University of Kansas Natural + History Reservation. By Henry S. Fitch and Ronald R. + McGregor. Pp. 77-127, 2 plates, 7 figures in text, 4 + tables. December 31, 1956. + + 4. Aspects of reproduction and development in the prairie + vole (Microtus ochrogaster). By Henry S. Fitch. + Pp. 129-161, 8 figures in text, 4 tables. + December 19, 1957. + + 5. Birds found on the Arctic Slope of northern Alaska. By + James W. Bee. 163-211, 2 pls., 1 figure in text. + March 12, 1958. + + More numbers will appear in volume 10. + + + + + * * * * * * + + Transcriber's Notes + + This file was derived from scanned images. With the exception of + some minor corrections (for example missing commas or periods) which + mary have been made that are not noted here and the list of + typographical errors that were corrected below, the original text is + presented. Some text may have been moved to rejoin paragraphs split + in the original by Tables or images. + + + Emphasis Notation + + _Text_ = Italic + + +Text+ = Bold-Italic + + + Typographical Errors Corrected: + + Several minor typographical corrections were made (missing periods, + commas, incomplete italicization, etc.); but are not indicated here. + More substantial changes are listed below: + + Page 172 Para. 5: Koalak => Kaolak + Page 173 Para. 3: gutteral => guttural + Page 182 Para. 2: logopus => lagopus + Page 184 Para. 4: was => were + Page 186 Para. 3: Topagurak => Topagaruk + Page 192 Para. 1: averages => averaged + Page 195 Para. 4: few => flew + Page 197 Para. 4: 70" => 74° + Page 197 Para. 5: (93-87) => (87-93) + Page 210 Para. 4: then => than + + * * * * * * + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Birds Found on the Arctic Slope of +Northern Alaska, by James W. Bee + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIRDS FOUND ON THE ARCTIC SLOPE *** + +***** This file should be named 34337-8.txt or 34337-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/4/3/3/34337/ + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Tom Cosmas, Joseph Cooper and +the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |