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.