2l8 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



veals that a foothold may be had in the seams and protu- 

 berances on its water-worn sides. Only on days when 

 the sea is very calm can the rock be landed upon, and 

 then only from the sheltered channel separating it from 

 the mainland. Fortunately, it happened that the sea was 

 quiet the day of my visit. The following day a party 

 of Stanford University students were unable to land on 

 account of the heavy surf. 



We first took a view of the rookery from the main- 

 land. The Cormorants were very tame, remaining on 

 their nests while we clambered down the sloping rocks, 

 and while we stood watching them, on the same level, 

 only a few yards away. They were safe, however, from 

 nearer approach, the deep though narrow channel with 

 its precipitous walls of rock, effectually cutting off fur- 

 ther advance. They were equally tame when the boat 

 drew near, as we approached from the water. 



The clefts in the sides of the rock were occupied by 

 B9,ird's Cormorants and the top by Brandt's. There 

 were comparatively few of the former, but of the Brandt's 

 Cormorants there were upwards of two hundred pairs. 

 Their nests covered the top of the rock, every available 

 situation being occupied. The surface was so uneven 

 that all the nests could not be seen from one spot. Stand- 

 ing in one place I counted one hundred and eighteen. 



All the nests of the Brandt's Cormorants on the rock 

 contained eggs (apparently in an advanced state of incu- 

 bation), with the exception of eleven, which had young 

 birds in them. In ten, the young were just out of the 

 shell. In the remaining one, they were as large as 

 " spring chickens." The eggs in seventy-seven nests 

 were counted by a companion. Twenty-one contained 

 four eggs each; thirty-six, three eggs; fourteen, two 

 eggs; three, five eggs; three, one egg. The most fre- 



