12 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



that those he indicates in the bill are merely due to immaturity, as I have seen 

 some caught near the Columbia river having the charajcters of the bill distin- 

 guishing D. nigripes, but evidently still growing, the bill soft and flexible, and 

 the quills imperfect. I agree with Peale, (as quoted by Cassin,) that they 

 require several years to become mature, and grow during nearly all that time, the 

 plumage gradually changing, so that those of different ages might pass for dis- 

 tinct species of which the " D. gibbosa " maj be merely.a form. Coues himself 

 is doubtful to which to refer Audubon's type specimen. 



D. culminata 1 Gould — According to Coues, Audubon's specimen named by 

 him " D. chhrorlnjndia," obtained in 1835 by Dr. Townsend "not far from 

 the Columbia river," is really Gould's Australian species. I believe a skull of 

 one of these has been found on the beach near this city but cannot now verify 

 the fact. 



Order Steganopodes 



66 Tachypetks aquilus LinnfEus, (Vieillot) — Frigate Pelican. A skull 

 obtained by Mr. Gruber at the Farallones is the first evidence of the occur- 

 rence of this bird within our limits oiv so far north. 



67 IGraculus Bairdii Cooper — Baird's Cormorant. See Proc. Phil. 

 Acad. Nat. Sc. 1864. {=G. violaceus var?) Was obtained by Mr. Gruber 

 at the Farallones and afterwards by myself. Differs from G. violaceus in hav- 

 ing a large white patch on each side of the rump, but I am doubtful whether 

 it is more than the adult of that species, though Prof. Baird is contident of 

 their distinctness. At any rate, young birds of this species have only a few 

 white feathers and are then undistinguishable from violaceus as described by Law- 

 rence, in the P. E. R. Report. Both forms occur together on the Farallones and 

 at Cape Disappointment, where I obtained one of the latter in 1854. The true 

 violaceus of Gmelin may however be distinct and from a more northern region. 

 In that case, Audubon's name resplendens still has priority over Bairdii, being 

 applied to the form without the white patches. The violaceus is said to have a 

 thicker bill, but this may be merely from immaturity, as in Diomedea, etc., in 

 which the bill grows more slender and longer with age. 



Order Brachypteri. 



68 *Cerorhina Suckleyi Cassin— Buckley's Auk. From Cassin's descrip- 

 tion I formerly supposed this to be merely the young of C. monocernta Pall., but 

 have' found dead ones on the beach at Santa Cruz in winter which seem to 

 indicate its distinctness. Others which I obtained at San Diego are also united 

 to this by Coues, though there is still room for doubt as to their identity. The 

 type was from Steilacoom, Washington Territory. 



69 *Brachyramphus*iiypoleucus Xantus— White-bellied Auk— See Proc. 

 Phil. Acad. Nat. Sc. Nov. 1859. I found this species breeding on Sta. Bar- 

 bara I.rbut rare. The type was from Cape St. Lucas. ^ 



70 Brachyramphus marmoratus Gmelin, (Brandt) — Marbled Auk. ^ In 

 January, 1866, I found a dead one on the beach at Santa Cruz, which seems to 

 be near the limit of their migration southward in winter. 



