vou. ul.}] Natural History of the Farallones. : 7 BOR 
and noiseless, reminding one somewhat of the flight of a bat. I did 
not hear any note uttered by the bird. The irrepressible gulls were 
also abroad at night and their note at that time sounded as a pensive 
wail indescribably weird and mournful as it mingled with the creek- 
ing of multitudes of auklets and the roar of the waves and wind. 
whistling about the sharp points of rock. 
- There is but one other sea bird which nests about the islands of 
which no particular mention has been made—the pigeon guillemot 
( Cepphus columba). It is very common, although never seen con- 
gregating in such immense numbers as the California.. When sitting 
upon the rocks facing the observer it appears to be a very dark 
brown bird with conspicuous scarlet feet. This brilliant color is un- 
doubtedly a recognition mark as is also the characteristic white 
patch on the wing which is conspicuous both when the bird is at rest 
and in flight, Plate xx represents a group of the birds, the attitudes _ 
having been taken from life. The most characteristic attitude of the 
bird is an erect posture, with the entire foot upon the ground. 
Frequently it will squat flat down among the rocks, however. They 
may frequently be seen with fishes in their bills, but I was unable to 
determine whether for their own use or to feed the young. When 
anyone approaches they sit with their long slender bills wide open 
and utter a high pensive long drawn out squeak—/eececeeete. 
Young birds were obtained from crannies in the rock, in much the 
same sort of place as the auklets breed. 
In the foregoing account of the water birds ‘breeding upon 
the Farallons little or nothing has been said of the eggs both be- 
cause they have all been described and because my own efforts were 
directed towards obtaining the young birds and such few eggs as _ 
were found well incubated. / 
Only two land birds nest upon the island, the raven iF Corvus 
corax sinuatus), which is very rare but undoubtedly breeds there, 
and the rock wren (,Sa/pinctes obsoletus), which is extremely abund- 
ant and nests all over, at least the lower parts of the island. The 
black turnstone ( Arenaria melanocephala ), was fairly common along 
the beach. No evidence of their breeding was discovered but it is 
-» a little remarkable that ne have been recorded by Mr. Emerson* 
i sedaint 1: 1.0. py 44 
