TAMENESSOF ANIMALS 351 



This seemed to open up a new field of pleasure to 

 the deer (and women particularly appeared to be the 

 object of his enmity), which at last became so pro- 

 nounced that the animal had to be placed in confine- 

 ment. 



Nearly all animal life is protected on this island. I 

 have counted nearly half a hundred bald eagles in an 

 eleven-mile run, and have seen them take a fish from 

 the water within easy gunshot. They build their 

 nests on pinnacles that are not difiicult of approach. 

 The sea birds are equally tame. Gulls gather in 

 flocks a few feet from those who feed them; in the 

 winter flocks of cormorants and loons swim into 

 the bays, and are so tame that they merely divide 

 when a boat passes, and fishermen often find that the 

 cormorants take off bait almost as fast as they can 

 put it on. Gulls dash at bait; I have seen a long- 

 winged, petrel-like bird follow my line under water 

 at a cast, using its wings to fly along, and take the 

 bait; and at times scores of sea birds are seen inshore 

 feeding upon small shrimps, paying no atention to 

 observers photographing them. 



I have had eagles try to seize my bait — a flying- 

 fish — fifty or one hundred feet astern. Seals and sea- 

 lions will do the same, also gulls. The latter in Avalon 

 Bay are almost as completely domesticated as fowls. 

 In winter flocks of loons and other sea birds enter the 

 bay, and I have seen them at San Nicolas and Santa 

 Cruz, so tame that they merely swam to the right 

 and left as our boat moved along. 



The angler in these waters will invariably be im- 

 pressed by the tameness of fishes. Yellowtail, sea 

 bass, and others will be hooked at the boat at times, 



