ZooL.— Vol. II.] LOOMIS— CALIFORNIA WATER BIRDS. 35 1 



Pauses in Migration. — Northbound migrants lingered by 

 the way to feed, Bonaparte's Gulls, Forster's Terns, 

 Northern Phalaropes, congregating where food was plen- 

 tiful. Besides halting upon the water, migrants made 

 counter-movements. For example. May 12, when North- 

 ern Phalaropes were numerous on wing, more flocks in the 

 vicinity of Point Pinos flew southward than northward. 

 Again, on June i, when Loons awing were quite common, 

 as many went down the coast as up the coast. These 

 instances emphasize that daily observations, recorded in 

 detail, alone reveal the real character of the movements of 

 the birds of a locality, this being particularly true in the 

 summer migrations from breeding grounds in temperate 

 regions. 



During the great flight of Loons on the 12th of May, 

 there were a few loiterers on the water in the Monterey 

 harbor. If observation had not been extended to the ocean, 

 these stragglers would have been all that were observed, 

 evidencing how false an impression of migratory movements 

 may be gained if only arrested migration is studied. 



Retrograde Migration. — It was noticed that many of the 

 Bonaparte's Gulls in transitu oyqv Monterey Bay apparently 

 came down the east shore to the harbor and then turned 

 westward, following the south shore to Point Pinos where 

 they headed northward, seemingly making this retrograde 

 movement in order to sight the coast-line above Santa Cruz. 

 It is not improbable that they came from the interior, for an 

 extensive migration down the Pajaro Valley was observed 

 by Mr. J. R. Chalker in May, 1889.^ 



Overjlow from Southern Breeding Grounds. — Dark- 

 bodied Shearwaters were abundant from the outset. Before 

 my departure, it seemed that the return movement south- 

 ward was beginning. Pink-footed Shearwaters were scarce 

 until the end of May. In June they became quite abun- 

 dant. Black-vented Shearwaters were absent during the 



1 'Zoe,' Vol. rv, p. 225. 



