868 I'lii'; 1) \KK-r,()i)iEi) siiiv ARw ati-:r. 



able to tliscern llie patlis urdaiiK'il 1)\ llieir f(.-llc)\\>. Mr. AiitliMin- sa\s'' : "Xone 

 of our Pacific Coast seabirds adlu-rc sn clusely tn i'stal)Ii.slR-(l ll\ lines as do the 

 three species of Piiffiiiiis: cwu when fi\'ing fifty nr niore miles from land the 

 flock that ])asses will, with alnidsi absolute certainly, mark the line which the 

 next will f<illii\v, e\ en thu the\- he an hour behind. * * * A Hock will, on 

 encountering a skiff direetU in iheir p.'ith, either divide and pass on either 

 side or all swer\e slightly to one side, immedi,ilel\- resuming their line of 

 tra\'el in either case." 



Another |)ecuharit\, observeil bv Mr. .\nthon\- and Mr. Chase Littlejohn, 

 is their h.ibil of circling, whether singly or in tlock. The circles are often so 

 large that one does not suspect that the passing l)irds are niosing in other 

 than a slraiglu line, but if one ccjiitinues out to sea he will presently encounter 

 a stream of birds mo\ing in the opposite direction, the further limit of the 

 mystic circle. 



The Hlack-\ented Shearwater nests earl\' in spring upon ("lU.idalupe 

 Island, off the coast of Lower California: and also upon the islands of the 

 Santa Barbara group. Its notes at this season are described as being "a 

 series of gas])ing, wheezv cries, reseiubling somewhat the escape of sleaiu 

 thru a partly clogged pil>e, uttered in a slightly varied key and repeated from 

 four or fi\'e to ten limes." 



Being thu-> confined at the breecjing season to the coast of the Calitornias, 

 the Shearwaters are at other seasons widely distributed, at least to northward, 

 and doubtless x'isil our shores in considerable numbers. 



Re\'. H. C. Mason, of Seattle, has detailed to me the appearance of \'ast 

 nuiubers of sea- fowl, called locally "wdiale-birds," "tens of thousands of 

 them." iuo\'ing south close inshore near Leadbetter Point, in August. 1905; 

 and I am inclined to think that they were of this or the succeeding species. 



No. 3lii. 



DARK-BODIED SHEARWATER. 



A. O. II. No. 95. Puffinus griseus ((".niel. I. 



Description. — .hhilts: (.eneral plumage sooty black. lightening (sooty gray) 

 beknv, lightest, sometimes nearly white, on chin; lining of wings white with some 

 dusky marbling; hill comparatively large and stout, black; tarsus black outside, 

 and outer toe black on tlie outer side ; tarsus inside, the inner toe, and the outer 

 toe above on the inside, yellow; the webbing black. Length about 16.00 (40.6) ; 

 wing 11.00-12.00 (279.4-304.8) ; tail 4.25 ( lo*^) ; bill i. 35-1. 70 (30.4-4,^2), depth 

 at base .45--55 (11. 4-14) ; tarsus 2.00 (50.8). 



.•\ul<. Vul. XIII., July, 1806, pp. 2.'6, 227. 



