ORNITHOLOGY OF GUADALUPE ISLAND. 275 



not SO frequently molested by the '' Quelelis." The latter, 

 said my informant, had often been seen in the act of rob- 

 bing the gulls of their eggs. The birds can undoubtedly 

 nest at the present time on any other portion of the shore, 

 especially the northern, where they would be comparatively 

 free from this source of danger. Had more time been at 

 disposal, a trip of a few days along shore might have re- 

 sulted in the discovery of a breeding colony, although the 

 month of April was rather early to look for gull's eggs. 



Specimens in both adult and immature plumage in num- 

 bers were noticed about the island, but after getting well 

 out to sea on the return voyage, the schooner was accompa- 

 nied by a few adult birds only. On approaching the Cali- 

 fornian coast, these were joined by a number of others, ac- 

 companied by a few birds of immature plumage. Appar- 

 ently the younger birds are not partial to long flights at sea, 

 with the chances of encountering heavy weather, and there- 

 fore prefer to follow the coast-line. If such be the case, 

 the immature birds of Guadalupe may have been reared 

 there, and were loath to put to sea in pursuit of vessels. 



2. PuiRnus gavia. 



Black-vented Shearwater. — A decayed specimen, found 

 on top of the island in April, has kindly been identified 

 by Dr. Cooper as this species. One stormy night in Jan- 

 uary, I heard a bird, as he flew past camp, making a pecu- 

 liar rasping squawk, and although I subsequently heard the 

 same sound on numerous occasions, more particularly when 

 encamped at a lower altitude, I was yet unable to detect the 

 author of it. My Mexican companion said the bird that 

 made the sound was a "Cuapo," common in Mexico; he 

 also drew in explanation the outline of the bill of some ra- 

 pacious bird; sach information is, of course, extremely un- 

 reliable. 



Since then I have not found any one who knows of a bird 

 by the name "Cuapo." I was inclined to assign the sounds 



