270 Dc. E. Coues. — From Arizona to the Pacific. 



the two first. But over the bay, though we saw many Ducks 

 and Geese, they neither are so numerous as they are a little 

 way from the sea on the lagoons and marshes of the San Gabriel 

 river, or even (in the case of the Geese at least) on the dry 

 bare plains. There is one exception to this, in Pelionetta per- 

 spicillata, which never, I believe, leaves the sea and its estuaries ; 

 they were in sight all day, rising and falling with the waves of 

 the ocean. 



On the edges of the mud-flats sat rows of black uncouth- 

 looking birds, bolt upright, with drooping wings, apparently 

 enjoying the sun while digesting the mass of food with which, 

 I have no doubt, their stomachs were overloaded. Gastric 

 activity is usually, in birds as in man, in inverse ratio to mental 

 acuteness ; and these birds allowed themselves to be shot with a 

 nonchalance highly amusing and gratifying. Graculus dilophus 

 they were, in spite of their white breasts, which only indicated 

 that they were not yet a year old. When older they are 

 lustrous black, but still very different from G. penicillatus, 

 which, by the way, is also found here, though rather rare. 

 They have jealous (that is, green eyes) , like all Cormorants; and 

 the brilliant orange gular pouch and sides of the bill contrast 

 finely with their dark plumage. 



Speaking of these Totipalmi naturally calls to mind some 

 others of the tribe. Pelecanus fuscus is a constant feature of 

 the air, land, and water of this bay. Strange-looking birds, 

 " all bill and wings,'^ as has been remarked of them, flapping 

 lazily along high over head, and with a queer twisting gyration 

 of the body, with stiffly extended wings and immoveable bill, 

 down they splash into the water with more " vims'^ than one would 

 imagine them capable of. They are concealed for a few 

 moments in the spray they raise ; when they reappear, it is to 

 fly off if the dive has been bootless — to sit still, drain the water 

 from the pouch, and, with a toss of the head, jerk the fish into 

 their capacious gullets if perchance they have been successful. 

 On the water their motions are easy gracefulness itself. Not- 

 withstanding the bulk of their bodies, and the long head and 

 neck to be supported, they sit on the water lightly as an egg- 

 shell. 



