v ^- XI ] General Notes. 3 2 I 



Journal Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., XVII, No. 1, April, 1894. 



Naturalist, The, A Monthly Journ. Nat. Hist, for North of England, 

 Nos. 228-230, July-Sept., 1894. 



Nidiologist, The, I, Nos. 9-12, May-Aug., 1S94. 



Ornithologische Jahrbuch, V, Heft 4, 1S94. 



Ornithologische Monatsberichte, XI, No. 7-9, July-Sept., 1S94. 



Ottawa Naturalist, VIII, Nos. 4-6, July-Sept., 1894. 



Proceedings and Trans. Nova Scotia Inst. Sci., Sec. Ser. , I, Part 3, 

 1893. 



Zoologist, The, July-Sept., 1894. 



GENERAL NOTES. 



Oceanodroma townsendi off San Diego, California. — From the time of 

 my introduction to the Sea-birds of Southern California in 1887, I have 

 seen at intervals, a black Petrel, which I quite naturally supposed was 

 Oceanodroma melania. They are seen in companies of not more than 

 three, more often solitary, and at quite a distance from land. In August 

 and September, however, they are sometimes seen along the kelp beds 

 near shore and on one or two occasions one was seen in the bay at San 

 Diego, but they never enter the bay except in foggy weather or at night. 



July, August and September seem to be the months in which they are 

 most common, though I think I have seen them occasionally nearly all 

 the year. 



Owing as much to their extreme restlessness as to their shyness, I 

 could never secure specimens. Not the slightest attention was paid to 

 bait thrown over to them, or to other sea-birds that might be following 

 the boat, therefore the capture of a single specimen off this port on Sept. 

 1 of the past year was somewhat of a surprise to me. 



Starting from the Coronado Islands about 20 miles south of San Diego, 

 on the morning of the above date, I sailed in a westerly direction until 

 noon, when I was about 40 miles from San Diego and almost due west. 

 Several Petrels were seen during the morning but none offered a chance 

 for a shot. Puffinus gavia was seen at intervals, but the large flock which 

 is usually to be found in this locality at this season, and which I was in 

 search of, was not to be found. It was decided to look for them nearer 

 shore, and the sloop was headed for San Diego, under a fair but light 

 breeze. When about 30 miles off shore, a flock of not less than 200 

 Petrels was sighted coming toward the sloop, on a course that would 

 take them about a quarter of a mile south of us. They were flying just 

 above the water in a somewhat loose flock, with a long string of 

 4 1 



