iSSS.] Goss on Birds of San Pedro Martir Isle. 2A.I 



has been worked for the past three years ; notwithstanding this 

 the following described birds continue to l^reed there, and as the 

 guano of value will be collected within the next six or eight 

 months, the birds will then have undisturbed possession, except 

 upon the rare appearance of roving bird collectors ; but as the isle is 

 uninviting and without fuel or water, such visits will be of short 

 duration. The following is a low estimate of the birds breeding 

 there, viz.: Blue-footed Booby, looo ; Brewster's Boob}^, 700; 

 Red-billed Tropic Bird, 80 ; Mexican Raven ( Corvus corax 

 sinuatus)^ lOO ; a few Western Gulls {Larzcs occidentalis) ^ and 

 perhaps a few other birds ; it was too early in the season to 

 determine this, but it does not appear to be a general breeding 

 place for birds, though a natural one for the Boobies, and 

 when undisturbed thousands upon thousands will breed there. 

 The tenacity with which they cling to their breeding grounds is 

 surprising. One hundred and thirty-five Indians were on the 

 payroll and many had their families with them, and in working 

 and climbing over the isle, they were continually disturbing and 

 often robbing the birds. In this respect, however, the Indians 

 are not as destructive as the white race, and as the Company 

 feeds them well, seem to care but little for the eggs, but the 

 thievish Ravens are ever on the watch and ready to drop upon 

 the eggs or the little ones the moment the parent birds are 

 driven away. 



Note. — In the identification of the Boobies I am greatly in- 

 debted to Mr. Robert Ridgway, who not only placed before me 

 the specimens of the family in the National Museum, but kindly 

 aided in the examination and comparison. 



Sula gossi Ridgzv. (MS.), sp. nov. Blue-footed Booby, 



Sp. Char. — Head, neck, and entire lower parts white, the first two 

 streaked with sooty grayish, back and scapulars dusky brownish, tipped 

 with whitish, legs and feet bright blue in life. 



Adult }nale. — Iris yellow; bill dull olive blue; bare space around bill, 

 eyes, lores, and gular sac slate-blue; legs, feet, and webs bright clear ultra- 

 marine blue with a slight greenish tint on webs; claws pale glaucous 

 blue; feathers of head and neck grayish white, widely edged in middle 

 portion with dark sooty grayish, their lanceolate tips pure white, produc- 

 ing a wavy streaked appearance ; these markings become obsolete on the 

 anterior part of the forehead, and on the throat for some distance behind 

 the gular sac, and are nearly uniform grayish white; lower neck and en" 



