Jones — On Washington Coast Birds. 193 



Very few burrows were straight for any distance, but usually 

 angled here and there apparently to avoid obstructions. Several 

 feet from the nest end of the burrow there was always a side 

 burrow branching olT at a sharp angle, ending in an unused 

 enlarged space. Nothing was ever found in this false burrow. 

 The nest burrow of the Auklets contained a bed of dry grass, 

 but that of the Petrel often contained nothing but fish bones. 

 Very few of the Auklets were at home on this island, possibly 

 because there were no young in the nests, but at Alexander Is- 

 land most of the burrows contained young birds and one parent. 

 Unoccupied nests were few. In every Petrel burrow there was 

 at least one bird. If there was an egg the male bird was with 

 it, but if there was no egg both birds occupied the nest burrow. 

 We were unable to determine whether the office of incubation 

 is assumed wholly b}- the male or whether it is shared by the 

 female. Onily males were found m the burrows with eggs. 

 When either of these species was taken from the burrow and 

 tossed into the air they took the shortest course to the water, 

 usually vacillating somewhat as if confused by the sudden day- 

 light. It seemed to us significant that the presence of these two 

 species anywhere in this region would not be suspected away 

 from their niesting burrows. None at all were seen during day- 

 light on any part of the trip. 



Dhuoyuatzachtal is made the study place of these two birds, 

 but both were found nesting on Carroll Islet in small numbers. 

 Other matters occupied our attention during our stay at Car- 

 roll. 



Carroll Islet. 



In the face of a brisk northerly breeze and against high run- 

 ning waves, our Indians were finally persuaded to try the seven 

 mile passage to Carroll. All our belongings were entrusted to 

 the canoe, but we two took the land route to a position opposite 

 the island, skirting the shore, in order to Hghten the canoe for 

 easier battle with wind and waves. We were plainly told that 

 none but fools ventured out on the ocean in such a sea. It was 

 therefore with some misgivings that we watched the canoe al- 

 ternately ride clear on the crest of a huge wave and then com- 



