The tail is not above a third of the length, of its body, and is covered with hair of a whitish colour at the edges.  It is no doubt the same with those called spotted field mice, by Mr Staehlin,[5] in his short account of the New Northern Archipelago.  But whether they be really of the mouse kind, or a squirrel, we could not tell, for want of perfect skins; though Mr Anderson was inclined to think that it is the same animal described under the name of the Casan marmot, by Mr Pennant.  The number of skins we found here, points out the great plenty of these several animals just mentioned; but it is remarkable, that we neither saw the skins of the mouse nor of the common deer.

[Footnote 5:  In his account of Kodjak, p. 32 and 34.]

Of the birds mentioned at Nootka, we found here only the white-headed eagle, the shag, the alcyon, or great kingfisher, which had very fine bright colours, and the humming-bird, which came frequently and flew about the ship, while at anchor, though it can scarcely live here in the winter, which must be very severe.  The water-fowls were geese, a small sort of duck, almost like that mentioned at Kerguelen’s Land; another sort which none of us knew; and some of the black seapyes, with red bills, which we found at Van Diemen’s Land and New Zealand.  Some of the people who went on shore, killed a grouse, a snipe, and some plover.  But though, upon the whole, the water-fowls were pretty numerous, especially the ducks and geese, which frequent the shores, they were so shy, that it was scarcely possible to get within shot; so that we obtained a very small supply of them as refreshment.  The duck mentioned above is as large as the common wild-duck, of a deep black colour, with a short pointed tail, and red feet.  The bill is white, tinged with red toward the point, and has a large black spot, almost square, near its base, on each side, where it is also enlarged or distended.  And on the forehead is a large triangular while spot, with one still larger on the back part of the neck.  The female has much duller colours, and none of the ornaments of the bill, except the two black spots, which are obscure.

There is likewise a species of diver here, which seems peculiar to the place.  It is about the size of a partridge, has a short, black, compressed bill, with the head and upper part of the neck of a brown black, the rest of a deep brown, obscurely waved with black, except the under-part, which is entirely of a blackish cast, very minutely varied with white; the other (perhaps the female) is blacker above, and whiter below.  A small land bird, of the finch kind, about the size of a yellow-hammer, was also found; but was suspected to be one of those which change their colour with the season, and with their migrations.  At this time, it was of a dusky brown colour, with a reddish tail, and the supposed male had a large yellow spot on the crown of the head, with some varied black on the upper part of the neck; but the last was on the breast of the female.