i6o Natural History of the Farallones. [zok 



same pair mated year after year. The observation upon the con- 

 stancy of the color of eggs of a single pair would need confirming 

 by competent scientific authority, however, before it could be 

 entirely credited. 



As I sat sketching the guillemots on the crest of the rock, their 

 curious habit of bowing was repeatedly noticed. The first one in a 

 row will deliberately bow his head, perhaps once, or sometimes two 

 or three times, followed in turn by each one in the assembly. 

 What the purpose of this curious maneuver is I was utterly 

 unable to make out. The explanation that naturally suggests itself 

 is that it is in some way connected with the courting of the birds, 

 although there was really nothing to confirm this view. 



Brandt's cormorant was also very abundant upon this West End 

 ledge, and nested there in large numbers. Between the eggers and 

 the gulls the birds of this section have a hard time of it, however, 

 and no young of either the guillemots or Brandt's cormorant were 

 discovered. After secunng specimens of the adult of these species, 

 together with a stray puffin, we started on our return course, visit- 

 ing the rooker}^ of Farallon cormorants on the way. Drawings 

 were made of the old birds in various attitudes, and of the young 

 in the nest. Plate xix shows a group of the young, with adult in 

 the distance. The young are about as ugly specimens as nature 

 ever permits, the comparison to a black greasy kid glove being 

 especially apt in describing them. They are almost destitute of 

 feathers, a litde dark fuzz here and there indicating where they will 

 eventually appear, while the pin-feathers may have started as dark- 

 colored quills. On approaching a nest of young they would open 

 their immense mouths and stretch their necks angrily towards the 

 intruder, uttering a low, hoarse, plaintive kzva kwa kwa kwa kwa. 

 On drawing nearer the cries are louder and very violent, the birds- 

 squawking loudly. One nest that I observed particularly, contained 

 two young, one much larger than the other. As we sat watching 

 them at a short distance the older bird was noticed preening and 

 caressing the younger with its bill — a notable example of brotherly 

 or sisterly afiection. When the younger bird was removed and 

 transferred to the collecting basket, however, the older one, instead 

 of manifesting a decent amount of grief over the loss of its com- 

 panion, commenced preening and dressing its own greasy skin in 

 the most unconcerned manner imaginable the moment its own safety 



