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