V ° 1 "i906^ 111 ] Bailey, Notes on Birds of Western Mexico. 377 



The following is a list of the birds collected or observed during 

 this trip to San Bias and the neighboring islands. 



Annotated List of Birds. 



1. Uria troile californica. California Murre. — Large numbers 

 of these birds were seen from the steamer when going south, and for at 

 least a day before arriving at the Golden Gate coming northward. 



2. Larus occidentalis. Western Gull. — These birds were common 

 all during the trip, following the steamer both going and coming, and also 

 common on the beaches of the mainland at and near San Bias. On White 

 Rock and Isabella Islands, flocks of from twenty to thirty were ever pres- 

 ent while I was skinning birds, and fought for the bodies as I threw 

 them out to them. While I was not engaged in skinning specimens, 

 these birds strutted around camp picking up scraps, and also followed 

 me as I walked over the islands, and if I scared a parent Booby or a Man- 

 o'-War Bird from its nest, not many seconds elapsed before the gulls had 

 their eggs. No nests of this species were discovered on any of the islands 

 or the mainland. 



3. Larus heermanni. Heermann's Gull. — These birds, like the 

 Western Gull, were ever present on the shores of the mainland, especially 

 near the mouth of the estero, also on both Isabella Island and White Rock. 

 Their habits were similar to those of the Western Gull as regards waiting 

 for bodies to be thrown out to them, stealing eggs, etc., and occasionally 

 they followed a Booby and tried to make it disgorge. One day while 

 sitting on a rock in front of camp at White Rock waiting for lunch, I saw 

 one of a pair of Great Rufous-bellied Kingfishers fishing from a rock about 

 twenty feet further on. As it returned to its perch from one of its little 

 plunges, a Heermann's Gull swooped down and tried to get its food before 

 it could be swallowed. The kingfisher clove to the water and at each 

 descent of the gull, dove b< ow, these tactics being kept up until the gull 

 got disgusted and left. From the actions of some pairs on a rock to the 

 north of Isabella Island I am sure these birds were breeding there, and 

 also on a rock off Cleofa Island, neither place being accessible. 



4. Sterna maxima. Royal Tern. — This large tern was seen on 

 the beaches of the mainland between San Bias and the Plateno Rancho 

 in small flocks of from four to eight. A number also were seen on Isabella 

 Island, where I am positive they had bred previously to my arrival on 

 April 8, as I found a number of nests with egg shells near by, placed on 

 the northern edge of the island. Being very familiar with the eggs of this 

 species I am sure I was not mistaken in their identity. 



5. Sterna antillarum. Least Tern. — For about ten days around 

 April 12 these little terns were common at the mouth of the estero at San 

 Bias, where they were feeding upon schools of small fish which came down 

 with the current. At the time of my departure, May 17, they had entirely 

 disappeared, going northward. 



