Vol. XV 



J Grinnell, Winter Birch of Santa Catalina Is., L. Cat. 2 '^ 7 



the burrow and disappeared, in some of these cases being found 

 on further excavation huddled up to its next neighl^or. 'J'here 

 was no difficulty in catching any number of the birds in one's 

 hand, and after selecting all that could be used the l)alance were 

 thrown into the air when they flew away in a dazed manner as if 

 unused to the light. The eggs of O. fiircata proved on comparison 

 to be a little larger than those of O. leiicorJioa, and were more 

 spotted at the large end. While those of the latter were fresh or 

 nearly so, the eggs of O. fiircata were nearly all too far advanced 

 m incubation to be saved. 



Besides the inhabited burrows there were a good many old 

 ones, principally in well-defined areas of a few yards across, that 

 were for some reason unused. The minks, of which there must 

 be a large number on the island, judging from the piles of Petrel's 

 wings found in some spots, may have systematically cleaned out 

 these unused areas ; but as the mouths of these burrows looked 

 old and neglected this hypothesis is a doubtful one. 



LAND BIRDS OBSERVED IN MID-WINTER ON SANTA 

 CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA. 



BY JOSEPH GRINNELL. 



I HAD the good fortune to spend the last eight days of Decem- 

 ber, 1897, on Santa Catalina Island, which lies about 25 miles 

 off the coast of southern California. My ornithological observa- 

 tions w^re confined to the east end of the island in the vicinity 

 of Avalon. Catalina Island consists of a range of hills rising 

 1000 to 3000 feet above the sea and very much resembling in 

 formation some sections of the mainland Coast Range of which 

 system it is evidently a part. These hills are furrowed by innu- 

 merable ravines and canons, and are clothed more or less thickly 

 with low brush and cactus. The shady north slopes generally 

 present a heavy growth of larger bushes, which often reach the 

 size of small trees. 



