Vor. II, Pt. II] GIFFORD—BIRDS OF THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 207 
a few feathers of the Blue-footed Booby. It was placed in a 
small hole in the tufa cliff some 20 feet above the ocean. 
Mr. Beck stated that he took an egg from the same hole five 
years before, March 31, 1901. The two eggs contained in 
the second nest were incubated five days. The female was on 
the nest, which was of grass stems and small twigs, lined with 
feathers. It was in a small crack in the face of the tufa cliff, 
also about 20 feet above the ocean. 
On the morning of March 24, at Tagus Cove, several mar- 
tins were noted on a dead tree at the top of a bluff over the 
ocean. ‘They were seen quite frequently sitting on ledges and 
at the openings of their nests in the cliffs, both singly and in 
pairs. I saw one enter its nest with a medium-sized yellow 
butterfly in its mouth. The sexual organs of birds taken in 
March and April were large. On April 5, they were common 
as usual along the cliffs. I saw one make a dozen or so un- 
successful attempts to catch a yellow butterfly which was 
crossing the cove. On April 9, I noted one chasing a sphinx 
moth over Tagus Cove; the moth finally dropped into the 
water and the bird left it. 
On May 18, one was seen 20 miles south of Indefatigable. 
This was the only time the species was noted at sea. 
13. Nesomimus trifasciatus: THREE-BANDED MOCKINGBIRD 
Champion, Charles (extinct), and Gardner-near-Charles 
islands. 
A number were taken on Gardner-near-Charles, October 3. 
On the same day we visited Champion, which lies close to 
Charles, and there a few were found around the tree cacti 
(Opuntia). 
On February 26, I visited Champion again, but saw, how- 
ever, only 10 or 12 birds, in somewhat worn plumage. One 
or two were in song, the music being different from that of 
the other species of Nesomimus. One young bird in spotted 
plumage was taken. 
Nests were common, many being built like the one described 
below, others with an abundance of twigs. Most of them 
were old, but a few were fresh. A nest or two was found in 
nearly every good-sized cactus tree. 
