CALIFORNIA WATER BIRDS. 183 



yiily. — July 2d there was a great movement southward 

 of Dark-bodied Shearwaters. The sea was very calm, 

 although there was a heavy surf, and at midday the sky 

 was clear. I was out on the water from eight in the 

 morning until two in the afternoon, going as far down the 

 coast as Pt. Cypress, keeping near the land on the way 

 down and several miles off shore in returning. Only a 

 few Shearwaters were seen before midday. These were 

 heading rapidly down the coast. About noon many were 

 seen at a distance off Pt. Cypress. They were also fly- 

 ing southward. On going out several miles from land it 

 was found that there was almost a continuous stream of 

 these birds coming from the northward and passing south- 

 ward. They flew only a few feet above the water, flap- 

 ping their wings a few times, then sailing for a few mo- 

 ments. The line of movement diverged somewhat to the 

 seaward, as the birds sheared off to avoid the boat. After 

 awhile, they began to pass on both sides of the boat, and 

 it was discovered that there were two parallel lines of 

 flight, as on the 21st of June. In returning up the coast 

 to Monterey Bay, I kept in the path of movement, which 

 was several miles distant from land, for about five miles. 

 As it was clear, the birds could be seen a long way up 

 and down the coast. It was fully determined that they 

 followed the coast-line leading southward, conforming 

 their course to the inward bend at Monterey Bay. 



In rounding Pt. Pinos the Shearwaters approached 

 much nearer to the shore than in the bay, a few stragglers 

 even coming within several hundred yards of the surf. 

 After passing the Point all shaped their course so as to 

 regain their former distance from the land. The obser- 

 vations for the entire season in this and other species indi- 

 cated that Pt. Pinos is a prominent landmark for water 

 birds journeying southward. 



