ORNITHOLOGY OF GUADALUPE ISLAND. 277 



ness came the reply from another that I supposed to be at 

 rest, ^[for you," ^\for you.'' 



Toward the north I often found wings or other fragments 

 of a petrel, and sometimes the entire body with the excep- 

 tion of the head. Of several dozen picked up from the 

 ground but one entire bird was found. Scores of these 

 bodies were found, some of them partially eaten. My Mexi- 

 can said that this wholesale slaughter was the work of cats, 

 but only one or two of these animals were seen, while de- 

 capitated petrels were lying about on all sides. 



TJiere were many small holes in the moist hillside open- 

 ing under boulders and fallen branches. Digging into these 

 holes for a distance of from one to three feet, my search 

 was rewarded by the discovery of petrels and fresh eggs. 

 During the greater part of two days I dug into about eighty 

 burrows, in most of which a single bird was found. In 

 some cases a single egg, never more, laid upon a few pine 

 needles in an enlarged chamber at the extremity of the 

 burrow was disclosed to view on removing the bird. The 

 birds seemed dazed when brought to light, and walked or 

 fluttered helplessly along the ground for a few feet until 

 they sufficiently recovered from their fright to make use of 

 their wings. When tossed into the air they descended 

 lightly and made their way among the tree- trunks and wind- 

 falls, dodging limbs and branches with a quick, bat-like 

 motion. I do not know whether they flew out to sea or 

 found concealment until nightfall, but the latter course 

 seems the more probable. 



Seldom did a bird make a sound Avhen seized, but occa- 

 sionally a cry like that of a bird in distress would escajDe 

 them. One individual, however, while being unearthed, 

 kept up the peculiar night-call which had so puzzled me 

 about the camp-fire. 



Their favorite breeding-ground was on the pine ridge, 

 but nests were found as far south as the small cypress grove. 

 It was very difficult to secure clean specimens since, upon 



