1917 BIRDS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ISLANDS 37 



nrenicnts of males and females. The greatest difference was shown in the length 

 of wing of the dark and the white males, which varied 4 millimeters. There were 

 69 males and 65 females. Comparison showed that the greater wing coverts (the 

 light patch) of the white-nimped birds are of a more grayish tinge and a lighter 

 shade than are those of the dark-nimped, and in the former the tliroat is more 

 ])lnnilieons than in specimens of the latter collected at the same time. In short, 

 the differences seem ])i-onounced enough to warrant recognizing a subspecies, if 

 it was not for the vital fact that the two extreme types may repeatedly be found 

 togetlier in the burrows before the egg is deposited. This precludes the possibil- 

 ity of a valid subspecies. 



38. Phalacrocorax auritus albociliatus Ridgway 



Farallon Cormorant 



Graculus dilopluis (1) Cooper, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., iv, 1870, p. 79. (2) Hemshaw, Rep. 

 Wheeler Surv., 1876, p. 275. 



Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus {S) Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, Water Birds N. Am. 

 II, 1884, p. 153. (//) Streator, Orn. & Ool. xiii, 1888, p. 54. (.J) Grinnell, Pasadena 

 Acad. Sci., i, 1897, p. 25. (6) Grinnell, Pasadena Acad. Sci., 11, 1898, p. 9. (7) 

 Mearns, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., lvi, 1907, p. 141. (8) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 126. 



Phalacrocorax dilophus (.0) Streator, Proc. Sta. Barbara Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1887, p. 23. 



Farallon Cormorant (JD) Beck, Bull. Cooper Orn. Club, i, 1899, p. 85. (//) Willett, Con- 

 dor, XII, 1910, p. 170. 



Phalacrocorax auriUis albociliatus (12) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 3, 1902, p. 16. (13) 



Grinnell and Daggett, Auk, xx, 1903, pp. 32, 37. (14) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 82. 



, (^.5) Wright, Condor, xi, 1909, p. 99. (16) Osburn, Condor, xi, 1909, p. 136. (17) 



Willett, Pac. Coast Avif., 7, 1912, p. 20. (7,S) Wright and Snyder, Condor, xv, 1913, 



p. 90. (19) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 11, 1915, p. 29. 



Phalacrocorax a[uritus'\. albociliatus (20) Willett, Condor, xii, 1910, ]). 173. 



Common resident, breeding on most of the islands. This species is an abun- 

 dant breeder on the Coronados, the principal colonies being located on north isl- 

 and. In the spring of 1897, J. Grinnell (5) noted immature birds commonly at 

 San Nicolas, but none were found breeding. At San Clemente C. B. Linton (14) 

 recorded the species as fairly common during the winter months, a flock of some 

 two hundred birds being seen February 5, 1907. 



I have found a few old nests, too early in the season for eggs, among those 

 of the Brandt Cormorant, on Ship Rock, near Catalina. This is the only time 

 that I have ever noted nests of the two species within a few feet of each other. 

 Large numbers breed on Santa Barbara Island, where, towards the latter part 

 of April, they begin coming in from the sea, to select and start repairing the old 

 nests. J. Grinnell (5) notes, however, that on May 15, 1907, only two sets of 

 eggs had as yet been laid. D. R. Dickey (MS) states that there were quite a 

 number lireeding on Anacapa in 1918, and H. Wright (18) found a few pairs 

 with newly completed nests there as late as July 5, 1912. R. H. Beck (10) says 

 that in 1895 there were birds breeding on a rock near Scorpion Harbor, Santa 

 Cruz Island; and on Prince Islet, San IMiguel, G. AVillett (:20) recorded quite a 

 large colony with nearly full grown young and eggs in various stages. June 15, 

 1910. 



