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 76 THI CONDOR Vol. XVI at all by me, but Merrill reports its occasional occurrence. Fie secured a speci- men in the spring of 9o6, and another in the spring of 9o8. Two .specimen taken at Sitka by Bischoff are mentioned by Dall and Bannister (869, p. 3o2), and Finsch (873, P. 86) speaks of a specimen from Sitka being in the Leyden Museum (probably quoted from Schlegel).' lhalaer0e0rax pelagicus pelagicus. Pelagic Cormorant.' Fairly 'common everywhere on salt water, but, according to local observers, much less abundant than formerly. In 92 a few pairs were nesting on the small islands off Biorka, and about one hundred and fifty pairs were breeding on St. Lazaria. In 93, although I canvassed the latter island thoroughly, I failed to find a single occu- pied nest. The .birds, mostly knmatures, were plentiful around the island but were not nesting. Brightman informs me that fiiteen years ago this bird nested in great numbers on St. Lazaria, and Grinnell (898, p. '26) found them abund - ant in 896. The only explanation I can offer for their diminishing numbers is.the persistent depredations of the Northvestern Crow (Corvus caurinus), which species appears to subsist to a great extent in summer on the eggs and young of the luckless cormorants. In' 92 I found the ground under the crows' roosts lit- erally covered with the shells of cormorant's' eggs and I doubt if any of the cor- morants raised a full brood. Although. the pelagic cormorants of this district have been referred to P. p. robustus, I find that the characters ascribed to that form are not to be found in a series of specimens taken. 3[erus americanus. American Merganser. Not very common. I saw an adult male near Old Sitka, August 6, the only one personally noted. Merrill took a male near Sitka: October 20, 9o8, and saw two birds that were shot in the same lo- cality in the spring of 9o3. The species was also noted at Sitka by Bischoff (Dall and Bannister, 869, p. 3o). Two females with broods of young were seen by F. Stephens at Red Bluff [Bay, Baranof Island, June 9, 97, and a downy young was secured by J. Dixon in the same locality two days earlier. The species was seen once at Hooniah, Chichagof Island, the last week in June (Grin- nell, 9o9, p. 93)- 3ierus serrat0r. Red-breasted Merganser. Fairly common summer visitant. According to Merrill, appears in early May and leaves mostly in October. I noted this saw-bill in many different localities on both fresh and salt water, and saw broods of young at Tenakee Inlet, Chichagof Island, and Silver Bay, near Sitka. The flesh of this species was found to be very palatable, although by the time the birds arrive in California, they are generally strong-tasting'and unfit to eat. Arias platyrhyneh0s. Mallard. Breeds in small numbers; abundant during migrations, and, according to Merrill, a few' remain throughout the winter. In early September appeared in large numbers at mouths of streams, and was still abundant at the time of my departure in early October. Merrill states that, while he has never found the nest, he has noted downy young on several of the. fresh water lakes in the vicinity. Chaulelasmu- Selenta. Gadwall. Merrill secured a specimen of this duck at Lisianski Bay, near Sitka, September 2=, 9. This is the only record I have seen for the region. areea ,tmeriea. na. Baldpate. Apparently a rare migrant, much more plen- tiful along the mainland shore. Merrill took one specimen at Sitka in the '/all. liletti0n ear01inense. Green-winged Teal. According to Merrill, abundant in spring and fall, less plentiful in winter, and a few remain through the sum- mer and breed around fresh water lakes. I found this species plentiful in corn-