266 BULLETIN 121, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



dotted with hundreds of black specks, which later we could recognize 

 as cormorants sitting on their nests, spread closely and evenly over the 

 gently sloping rocks. 



Brandt cormorants seem to prefer to nest on the flat top of a rocky 

 island, on a gradually sloping incline or more often still on a high 

 rounding shoulder of rock. They never seem to nest on the inacces- 

 sible perpendicular cliffs, such as are chosen by the Baird cormorants. 

 The nests seem to be easily accessible and they are so, provided one 

 can make a landing on the island, but this is generally not so easy, 

 for these rounding shoulders of rock often terminate in steep and 

 slippery sides washed by dangerous breakers. The nests are not very 

 different from those of the Farallon cormorant, except that they 

 never use sticks in their construction, which the other species usually 

 does utilize. But the birds themselves are much shyer and can be 

 easily recognized b}^ the blue gidar pouch, which is very conspicuous 

 during the breeding season. The nest is made of various seaweeds 

 and sea mosses, which the birds may be seen gathering by diving in 

 the vicinity of their breeding grounds; the nest is used for successive 

 seasons, fresh material being added each spring to the foundation of 

 rotted debris and guano ; thej'^ are often placed so near together that 

 there is barely walking space between them. 



Two interesting colonies of Brandt cormorants, near Monterey, 

 California, are described by Prof. Leverett M. Loomis (1895) from 

 whom I quote in part as follows : 



Two rookeries were discovered ; one at Point Carmel and tlie other at Seal 

 Rocks. June 25tli I visited tlie former, whicli is situated on a rock or little 

 islet in the ocean at the extremity of Point Carmel, about fifteen yards from 

 the mainland. This rock rises perpendicularly some forty or more feet above 

 the water. At first sight it does not seem that it can be scaled, but close;* 

 inspection reveals that a foothold may be had in the seams and protuberances 

 on its water-worn sides. Only on days when the sea is very calm can the 

 rock be landed upon, and then only from the sheltered channel separating it 

 from the mainland. Fortunately, it happened that the sea was quiet the day 

 of my visit. The following day a party of Stanford University students were 

 unable to land on account of the heavy surf. 



We first took a view of the rookery from the mainland. The cormorants 

 were very tame, remaining on their nests while we clambered down the sloping 

 rocks and while we stood watching them on the same level only a few yards 

 away. They were safe, however, from its precipitous \valls of rock, effectually 

 cutting off further advance. They were equally tame when the boat drew 

 near as we approached from the water. 



The clefts in the sides of the rock were occupied by Baird cormorants and 

 the top by Brandt's. There were comparatively few of the former, but of the 

 Brandt cormorants there were upwards of two hundred pairs. Their nests 

 covei'ed the top of the rock, every available situation being occupied. The 

 surface was so uneven that all the nests could not be seen from one spot. Stand- 

 ing in one place I counted one hundred and eighteen. 



