THE OOLOGIST. 



101 



The Eggs of Heermann's Gull 

 Discovered. 



Up to this year the eggs of Heer- 

 mann's Gull (Larus heermannl) had 

 never been found. My collector, Mr. 

 Wilmot W. Brown, Jr., whom I have 

 had for over a year in the Cape region 

 of Lower California has just sent me a 

 very large series of this bird. Think- 

 ing his letter might interest your read- 

 ers, I enclose it. 



"The expedition just completed, was 

 to the Island of Idlefonso in search of 

 the nesting place of Heermann's Gull. 

 After a long and weary search on the 

 different islands along the coast, on 

 the 2d of April, I discovered a colony 

 breeding. After waiting six days so 

 as to get complete sets, I collected a 

 very large series. With a few excep- 

 tions, most of the nests contained two 

 eggs. Some twenty or thirty nests 

 contained three eggs. 



The nest in all cases was simply a 

 well formed depression in the ground 

 and had no lining whatever. There 

 must have been over 10,00i0' Heermann 

 Gulls nesting. On the southern end 

 of the Island of Idlefonso facing the 

 sea, there is a large semi-circular 

 shaped depression which covers about 

 five acres. It is quite level on the bot- 

 tom and covered with gravel, with 

 here and there, blocks of lava scat- 

 tered about. It is well protected 

 from the Northwest wind which pre- 

 vails in March and April. 



"At the time I arrived, March 28, 

 immense numbers of Heermann Gulls 

 were congregating, preparatory to lay- 

 ing their eggs. They literally covered 

 the ground; and so occupied were they 

 in their love-making that they paid 

 very little attention to me. Their 

 cries deadened the cries of all the 

 other birds and they kept it up all 

 through the night. 



"In the waters close to the breed- 

 ing ground, large flocks were seen, 

 their breeding instinct making them 

 very sociable. On my arrival they were 

 in immense numbers and the males 

 were constantly seen fluttering over 

 the females on ttie ground near their 

 nests. No eggs was laid until April 

 2d, so it seems they spend some time 

 in courtship before settling down to 

 their matrimonial duties. The female 

 when in passion emits a peculiar 



squeaky sound as she coaxes the male 

 by squatting down and by going 

 through the most ludicrous motions. 

 I have also seen a couple holding on 

 to each other's bills, then they would 

 break away and go through a sugges- 

 tion of dance, but all the time talking 

 to each other in low love tones. The 

 appearance of a Duck Hawk would 

 send them all flying seaward, but they 

 soon returned. 



"In the niches and caves of the Cliff, 

 I found the Blue-footed Booby (Sula 

 nebouxii) breeding. The eggs were 

 in all cases laid in a depression in the 

 floor of the cave. Most nests con- 

 tained one egg each, well incubated. 

 Only two nests contained two eggs. 

 In most cases the old birds stoutly 

 defended their nests, striking vigor- 

 ously at me with their sharp beaks. 

 Several nests contained young, well 

 grown and in downy plumage. This 

 colony of about twenty-five pairs nest- 

 ed in the Cliffs on the Northwest side 

 of the island. 



"There was a colony of Brewster's 

 Booby (Sula brewsteri) nesting on the 

 Southern end of the island in the cliffs, 

 caves and in the openings among the 

 rocks. The nests were composed of 

 a few sticks in most instances whit- 

 ened with guano and on this, one egg 

 was laid. I didn't find a single nest 

 that contained two eggs. As I saw 

 full grown young on the wing, they 

 probably begin to nest in January. 



"In a niche among the rocks, I found 

 two nests of Craveri's Murrelet 

 (B^achyranphus craveri) each con- 

 taining one egg well incubated." 



From Idlefonso Island, Mr. Brown 

 sailed to Loreto. He then went to 

 Comondu where 'he collected a fine 

 series of Brown's Song Sparrow and 

 twelve sets of eggs. He was also for- 

 tunate enough to get several sets of 

 Belding Yellow-throat (Geothlypis 

 beldingi). 



JOHN E. THAYER, 



Lancaster, Mass. 



From the Isle of Pines. 



The Florida Grackle (Quiscalus 

 quisciila aglacus) is one of our most 

 common birds. It measures about, 

 11.25 inches in length, and wing 5.5 

 inches. It is mucli tamer here than 

 our Grackles of the North, and is very 



