32 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



out a short distance to an opening in the bushes where there were 

 twenty or thirty nests. The females were found on their eggs with the 

 males standing close beside them. When the strange visitor appe'ared 

 in their midst the birds set up a continuous series of hoarse cries and, 

 like so many moths, seemed to become fascinated by the light. They 

 started up on all sides, and trooping within the circle of bright light, 

 began to run around me in a ring about 20 feet in diameter. They ran 

 in single file from right to left and presented a most ludicrous sight. 

 Occasionally one fell on its breast, whereupon the others scrambled 

 over the fallen bird until it regained its feet and rejoined the proces- 

 sion. One of the number was suddenly possessed with a desire to run 

 around one of my legs, and, although seized by the head several times 

 and tossed out among its companions, persisted in returning to the 

 same place and continuing its gyrations. The next morning at day- 

 break the birds were seen standing in pairs by their eggs and remained 

 in this position until about sunrise, or a little after, when all of the 

 males went out to sea usually in little parties of two to five or six. 

 They returned between 1 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and a number 

 of them flew directly to their mates and disgorged numerous small 

 fishes which the females ate greedily. These observations seemed to 

 show that the females did the incubating and the males provided the 

 food. As the neighboring waters do not abound in small fishes, the 

 boobies have to go in many cases from 10 to 30 miles to obtain their 

 daily supply. During a visit to San Juauito Island, the latter part of 

 May, many blue-footed boobies were found breeding on sandy beaches 

 at the south end of the island; many of the young were hatched and 

 some were more than half grown. Like the young of the tropic birds, 

 the young boobies uttered angry cries and fought savagely when 

 approached. 



This species is found in Chile, on the Galapagos Islands, and north to 

 the island of San Pedro Martir in the Gulf of 'California. The type of 

 Sula nebouxii was obtained on the coast of Chile, and the type of S. 

 gossi came from San Pedro Martir. 



The sexes are alike in color, but when standing together the males 

 may be readily distinguished by their smaller size and slenderer form. 

 In life the bill is leaden horn color, with its base and the gular pouch 

 leaden blue; the feet are bright blue. The downy young are pure 

 white. Four specimens measure as follows: $ (1 specimen), wing, 410; 

 tail, 219; culinen, 108; tarsus, 51. ? (average of 3 specimens), wing, 

 438; tail, 219; culiuen, 109.6; tarsus, 56. 



Phalacrocorax sp. Cormorant. 



Two or three cormorants seen at a distance were the only ones noted 

 during the trip. None were seen near Isabel nor on the rocks near 

 San Bias. 



Pelecanus californicus Ridgway. California Brown Pelican. 



A few pairs of brown pelicans were breeding on Isabel Island the 

 last of April. The nests were made of sticks and placed in the dense 



