132 BIRDS FROM PACIFIC COAST TOWNSEND. 



The nearer Revillagigedo Islands, San Benedicte and Socorro, lie 

 about 100 miles southwest of the end of the peninsula of Lower Cali- 

 fornia, Clarion beiug nearly 100 miles west of these. Clarion Island is 

 about 6 miles long by 3 in average breadth. The central portion is a 

 plateau about 1,000 feet high, with .a few elevations perhaps 500 feet 

 higher. It is mostly overgrown with long grass, head high, through 

 which the pedestrian flounders helplessly ; the slopes of the lesser ele- 

 vations are clearer, with scattered bushes and low, scrubby trees. I 

 was not able to reach the plateau until after two hours of laborious 

 struggle through the wilderness of cactus that covers its southern 

 slopes, cutting nearly every yard of the way with a sharp machete. No 

 other members of the party attempted it. Cactus renders all the lower 

 portions of the island practically impassable. The island is probably 

 without fresh water, although a small lagoon near the south beach con- 

 tained slightly brackish water at the time of our visit there in March. 

 Southerly gales would probably drive sea water into the lagoon and 

 for a time at least render this wretched supply entirely worthless. 



Socorro Island is more than twice as large as Clarion and vastly more 

 rugged and mounrainous, having elevations of ])erhaps 5,000 feet. The 

 greater portion of the island is covered with brush growing among rough 

 volcanic rocks, two hills at the southwest end only being smooth and 

 grassy. No permanent water holes were noticed in the vicinity of Braith- 

 waite Bay, where the Albatross anchored. 



San Benedicte Island is smaller than the others, being 3 or 4 miles 

 long by 1 wide, with elevations of 500 feet or more. No cactus was ob- 

 served on San Benedicte, and no woody bushes of any kind, but it is 

 covered with a tangle of tall grass that is almost impenetrable. It is 

 apparently without fresh water. 



The Revillagigedo Islands are surpassed in volcanic roughness only 

 by Angel Guardia Island in the Gulf of California. A singularly inap- 

 propriate application of names by their discoverers is noticeable. That 

 distress must have been great indeed that could have found relief upon 

 arid Socorro — succor ; and at Puerto Refugio, Isla de la Angel Guardia, 

 we found ourselves upon the borders of a great waterless desert, where 

 we were in constant danger of treading upon huge rattlesnakes, whose 

 repulsiveness was rather emphasized by the abundance of a large igu- 

 analike lizard {Sauromalus — bad reptile), a veritable drf^gon in appear- 

 ance. A port of refuge and a guardian angeFs habitation, indeed! 

 Spanish sarcasm, I doubt not, in both cases. 



It is proposed to supplement the somewhat concise diagnoses of new 

 species in this paper by more complete descriptions at another time. 



Five new species and six new subspecies are here described. The 

 entire collection numbers 236 specimens, representing 92 species and 

 subspecies. 



The localities are mentioned in the order in which they were visited. 



