Vol. XX 

 1904 



I DuTCHER, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I S7 



night, and with the assistance of Mr. Daniel French, warden and 

 deputy sheriff, a thoroughly skilful surf and boatman, I was able 

 to land on all rocks and islands where birds were breeding. 



" Pulpit Rock was the first in the course. This at high water 

 forms two separate rocks, but at a little ebb tide the connection is 

 completed; nevertheless owing to the perpendicular walls of the 

 outer rocks one cannot reach its top from the inner one, but must 

 make a separate landing at a particular shelf, and even this is 

 done at some hazard in calm weather, and not at all in moderately 

 rough weather, hence the central part is seldom visited, judging 

 from appearances. The inner part is much easier to land upon 

 and 1 believe that some eggs have been taken from it. As we 

 approached about 50 Double-crested Cormorants rose from the 

 rocks and flew about for a few moments before leaving. A 

 thorough search of both parts of the rock revealed none of their 

 nests, and Mr. French said they had not been known to breed 

 there. 



" A few Sea Pigeons breed here, fifteen old birds being seen 

 and one nest with young was discovered. 



" While the gulls present were estimated at eight hundred to a 

 thousand, I think that comparatively few of the number breed, for 

 if they did one could not step upon these small rocks without 

 walking on the nests ; in reality the nests are quite scattering. 

 Almost all had hatched, and the young were hiding in clefts of 

 the rocks on the outer rock, which is the highest and largest, and 

 is devoid of all va.scular plants. On the inner rock they also hid 

 in clefts, and under the vegetation, which was rather abundant. 

 Here we found two nests with eggs. 



" Most of the young were nearly large enough to fly, and fre- 

 quently with startling screams leaped over the crags, using their 

 wings to break the fall, landing rather clumsily, but unharmed on 

 the covered rocks below. 



" On the outer rocks the birds, I think, had been practically 

 unmolested and not seriously on the inner one. Probably the 

 number of gulls breeding is between two and three hundred. It 

 is five nautical miles from Libby Island Light and a little more 

 than ten from Crumple Island. 



"Our next stopping place was the Brothers, two islands of high 



