191(3.] Townsend, Voyage of the 'Albatross' in 1911. 413 



was towed by the launch with fair success. Cedros, like nearly all of the 

 islands off Lower California, is uninhabited. 



Sailing in the evening we arrived at San Bartolome Bay, on the Peninsula, 

 on the morning of the 13th. Here we found tw r o camps of fishermen en- 

 gaged in catching spiny lobsters (Panulirus), for the San Diego and Los 

 Angeles markets. They supplied us most liberally with green turtles and 

 lobsters in exchange for a barrel of fresh water in order to save themselves a 

 35-mile voyage to Cedros Island, the nearest place for fresh water. 



An account of this lobster fishery will be found under another heading. 

 Green turtles are very abundant here, and "Turtle Bay" is one of the names 

 used for this locality. This was our first working place on the Peninsula 

 and the scientific staff made the most of our two days' stay. We obtained 

 specimens of coyote (Canis peninsula;), deer {Odoeoileus hemionus penin- 

 sula:), woodrats (Ncotoma intermedia gilva) and mice (Perognathus penicil- 

 latus arenarius, P. fallax, and Peromyscus maniculatus coolidgi). The birds 

 included both water and land forms but the latter, as on the islands we had 

 visited, w r ere not very abundant or of many varieties. Among the species 

 obtained were the large-billed sparrow, sage thrush, horned lark, wren and 

 golden-crowned sparrow. Water birds were quite abundant, there being 

 large rookeries of pelicans and cormorants at the entrance of the bay. 

 Porpoises are common in the bay and we obtained one skull of Tursiops 

 gilli on the beach. 



The entire coastal region of Lower California is desert-like in character, 

 as also are the outlying islands. The vegetation is low and brushy. As 

 rain seldom falls, nearly all the vegetation has a decidedly dry and scorched 

 appearance. The boat dredge was used successfully and the seining party 

 obtained fishes in abundance and variety. Two large California jewfish 

 (Stereolepis gigas) w T ere taken at the anchorage. They weighed 138 and 204 

 pounds respectively. 



Leaving on the morning of the loth, we proceeded twenty miles south to 

 San Cristobal Bay, where in 1S84 I had obtained specimens of elephant seal 

 for the National Museum when I was in charge of the schooner 'Laura.' 

 While the 'Albatross' lay off shore I examined the beach for several miles 

 from the steam launch at close range, but there were no signs whatever of 

 elephant seals. A large California jewfish was taken at the anchorage. 

 We moved off shore in the afternoon and dredged in 284 fathoms (Sta. 5675), 

 making a good haul of fishes and invertebrates which were listed as follows: 

 Fishes — 18 sharks (1 species, the largest being 18 feet long), 59 macrurids 

 of 3 species, 1 Nemichthys, and two other species; invertebrates — 2 quarts 

 of small grayish echini, 2 dozen anemones, 25 holothurians, 3 species of 

 starfishes (Pseudarchaster pusillus, Ceramastcr leptoceramus, and Zoroaster 



