BREWSTER : BIRDS OF THE CAPE REGION, LOWER CALIFORNIA. 15 



'Gavia imber (Gunn.). 



Loon. 



CoJymhus torquatns Beldivg, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., VT. 1883, 352 (La Paz). 

 Urinator imbtr Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ^d ser., II. 1889, 250 (La Paz). 



Although the Loon is common in winter along the coast of California as far 

 south as San Diego Bay the only authority for its occurrence in any part of 

 Lower California is Mr. Belding, who has recorded seeing two specimens at La 

 Paz on January 27, 1883. The bird must be a rather rare visitor to this local- 

 ity, which probably represents about the southern limit of its winter wander- 

 ings on the Pacific coast. 



Brachyramphus hypoleucus Xantcs. 



Xantus's Murrelet. 



Brachyrhamphus hypoleucus Xantus, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 299 (orig. 



descr. ; type from Cape St. Lucas). Baird, Ibid., 301 (Cape St. Lucas), oOtJ 



(crit.; Cape St. Lucas). Coces, Jbld., 1868, 64-66 (crit.; Cape St. Lucas). 



Elliot, lUustr. New and Unfig. N. Amer. Birds, II. 1869, pi. 72 (descr. and 



figures type specimen from Cape St. Lucas). Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. 



Mus., V. 1883, 534, footnote (Cape St. Lucas; San Jose'). 



Brachyrnmphus hypoleucus Baird, Brewer, and Kidgway, Water Birds N. Amer., 



II. 1884, 502 (iris " pale blue," Xantus, MS. ; Cape St. Lucas). Bryant, Proc. 



Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., IL 1889, 250 (Cape Region). 



This species was taken both at Cape St. Lucas and San Jose del Cabo by its 



discoverer, Mr. Xantus, in 1859, but rather curiously it does not seem to have 



been since observed near the southern e.\treinity of Lower California, nor ever 



actually within the Gulf of California, where it is replaced by the closely-allied 



B. craveri, which appears to be strictly confined to the Gulf during the breeding 



season and practically so at all other times of the j'^ear. Mr. Anthony, who has 



found B. hypoleucus breeding on many of the islands off the Pacific Coast of 



Lower Calilbrnia north of Magdalena Bav, savs that it " begins nesting in late 



January, though I have found fresh eggs as late as early April. Late in Fel> 



ruarj' they may be seen at sea in family parties consisting of the parents and 



one or two dowTiy voung, which are taken to the water the first night, T think, 



after they are hatched. The young stay in company Avith the adults until late 



in the year." He adds that among some seventy-five specimens of both sexes 



and all ages which he has taken between Santa Barbara Islands and Magdalena 



Bay only one has " suggested in any way the plumage known as craveri" while 



concerning the identity of this single exception he was evidently in some 



doubt.i 



1 Auk, XVII. 1900, 168, 169. 



