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.