2 20 Breninger, San Clemente Isla7id Birds. LAnril 



could not see into the cavity. There were no indications of the 

 occupancy of this nest. Very old birds prove vicious antagonists. 

 A pair of eagles had used two nests alternately, one on each side 

 of a deep gorge. As they have used one or the other during the 

 past fifteen years they were known to be old birds, with a bad record. 

 One season, at sheep-shearing time, one of the employees of the 

 Wool Company, fresh from a land where there were no eagles, 

 essayed to ride to the edge of the barranca and have a look at the 

 young eagles. From above the old eagle swooped with unerring 

 aim, and it was fortunate the grasp was not deeper, as with angry 

 screams she flew away with his hat, dropping it into the sea. It 

 was with this same eagle I was dealing. My man had gone down 

 after the eggs, and while I was giving some minor directions, in an 

 unguarded moment, a little dog that had followed from the house 

 ran with a pitiful whine under my legs and curled up there in mor- 

 tal terror. I had sat down on the ground, perhaps on account of 

 proximity to the edge of the abyss and at the same time to have 

 'full swing ' at rapid shooting. A moment after the dog had taken 

 refuge an eagle came within a foot of striking me in the face with 

 its wing. My gun came to my shoulder instantly. Bang ! and a 

 fine white-headed bird lay dying at the bottom of the barranca. 

 The female, too, was secured. 



Ravens (^Corvus corax sinuatus) were numerous about the island \ 

 thirty-eight were seen circling over a small interior valley at one 

 time. It was yet too early for eggs, though nests of previous 

 years were seen along the seawall and in the side of the barran- 

 cas. At one place seven nests were seen in a space of less than 

 one hundred yards. Even in this unfrequented spot the raven 

 maintains his time-honored trait of the preservation of its kind 

 by placing its nest in inaccessible places. Although shy birds at 

 all times, curiosity gets the best of them now and then, and for 

 this reason I brought away two fine skins. 



One Western Red-tailed Hawk {Buteo borealis caluriis) and a 

 pair of Duck Hawks (^Falco peregrinus anatuvi) were seen, and a 

 male of the Duck Hawk was secured. White-throated Swifts 

 {Aeronaiites melanoleucus^ were seen darting up and down some 

 of the deep canons. Hummingbirds were also detected, but the 

 species could not be determined while in flight. 



