INTRODUCTION 



The need for a publication of some kind embracing all possible information 

 in regard to the avifauna of the islands off the coast of southern California first 

 came to my attention in 1908. At that time I began compiling lists of the birds 

 of each of the islands, for my own use only; but, at the suggestion of a few 

 friends, I began four years ago to get these notes into shape for publication. This 

 M^as undertaken, not because I have worked the islands more thoroughly than 

 anyone else, which is not the case, but because of the special interest I have in the 

 region. 



The present contribution was completed and delivered to tlie Editors in 

 October, 1915, but for various reasons the Club has been long delayed in its pub- 

 lication. During this delay, I have taken the opportunity of bringing the paper 

 up to date, with the beginning of 1917. 



The territory covered in the present paper consists of the Santa Barbara 

 Islands as properly restricted : Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San IMig- 

 uel, with certain outlying rocks; the more southern group, popularly included 

 under the same general term : Santa Barbara, San Nicolas, Santa Catalina, and 

 San Clemente ; and Los Corona dos Islands. The last mentioned group does not 

 lie off the coast of southern California, being Mexican territory and pertaining 

 to Lower California, but is included in this report because of location nearby, 

 and because of faunal similarity to the other islands named. 



I regret that I have been unable to spend more time myself in field work- 

 some weeks, at least, on each island. There seems no prospect of this in the near 

 future, and further delay of publication for this reason seems unwise. As a 

 matter of fact, there has been comparatively little work done upon these islands 

 by anybody, and a visit of several weeks to any one of them is almost sure to add 

 one or more new migrants or winter visitants to the list. 



The scope of this paper, as originally planned for my own use, has necessar- 

 ily been amplified. I have endeavored to cite every publication relating to the 

 island avifauna that could be deemed of importance, and to gather all unpub- 

 lished notes relating to the subject, though I suppose it is useless to hope that I 

 have uncovered every one of either. As a matter of general convenience, the 

 nomenclature and order of the third edition of the American Ornithologists' 

 Union Check-List (1910) has been followed, except where modified by the one 

 supplement since published. There are several island races belonging to groups 

 Avhich have lately been monographed, and which have been accorded standings 

 different from those in the Check-List. In such cases, while I personally accept, 

 for the most part, the opinions of the men who have done this work, I have in 



