° 1918 ] Wetmore, Birds of Desecheo Island, P. R. 333 



present in that locality on' May 18, 1913, when two more specimens were 

 taken. Mr. Brown saw two at the same place on May 16, 1914, although 

 circumstances prevented his collecting any. 



Arenaria melanocephala. Black Turnstone. — Migratory, for the 

 most part along the coast, although Mr. Brown shot a pair at Tacoma on 

 August 24, 1913, that were sitting on a raft of logs out in the bay. Mr. 

 Cantwell reports them as winter residents at Dungeness, where his records 

 range from August IS, December 30, January 16, to February 25. 



Mr. Lien reports twenty as being the greatest number that he has seen 

 at one time. 



Haematopus bachmani. Black Oyster-catcher. — Without doubt 

 resident throughout the year, although specific records for every winter 

 month are lacking. Mr. Lien has taken them in November and on Decem- 

 ber 22, 1916. They breed fairly commonly on the rocky islands off the 

 coast, fresh eggs being taken throughout the month of June. Three eggs 

 is the number most commonly found. The nest is placed among the rocks 

 fifteen feet or more beyond the reach of high water, and is composed of 

 small stones, chips of rock, with a few small pieces of crab claws and shell. 



THE BIRDS OF DESECHEO ISLAND, PORTO RICO. 



BY ALEXANDER WETMORE. 



The island of Desecheo, west of Porto Rico, in Mona Passage, 

 is distant nearly seven leagues from the town of Aguadilla. Though 

 Desecheo has been a prominent landmark for ships passing between 

 Porto Rico and Santo Domingo since the early voyages of dis- 

 covery, its rough broken shoreline, with difficult landings and lack 

 of a certain water supply, have left it little known. Fray Ihigo 

 Abbad in 1788 l describes the island as uninhabited but frequented 

 at times by smugglers. It was said that there were wild goats on 

 it at one time which, with crabs and shellfish, furnished food to 

 these casual visitors. The banks off the southern shore have been 

 noted for their fish, and fishermen coming at irregular intervals 



1 (Abbad y Lasierra, Fray Inigo) Historia geografica, civil y politica, de la Isla de S. Juan 

 Bautista de Puerto Rico, Madrid, 1788, p. 203. 



