BIRDS OF THE OPEN SEA 11 



25. XANTUS MURRELET. — Brachyramphus 

 hypoleucus. 



Family : The Auks, Murres, and Puffins. 



Length: 10.00. 



Adulls : Upper parts plain slaty gray ; under parts, including cheeks 

 and throat, uniform clear white ; lining of wing white ; head without 

 ornamental feathers or spines. 



Downy Young : Uniform dusky color ahove, light gray beneath. 



Geographical Distribution, : Southern California to Cape St. Lucas. 



Breeding Range: From San Diego southward on coast of Southern Cali- 

 fornia and on Coronado Islands. 



Breeding Season : Approximately, March 1 to June 1. 



Nest : In crevices of cliffs ; usually lined with coarse grass. 



!.- 1 ; light huffy, with gray-hrown markings. Size 2.05 X 1.50. 



The Xautus Murrelet is a common resident along the 

 coast of Southern California as far north as Monterey. 

 Little is known concerning its breeding habits, although 

 it nests on the coast from San Diego south, more abun- 

 dantly south of the Mexican border. It is numerous 

 out in the open sea south of Coronado Islands during 

 the breeding season, and is said to nest on the Island 

 of San Clementi as well as Coronado. It is found in 

 the Santa Barbara Channel at all seasons of the year, 

 and without doubt a few nest on the Santa Barbara 

 Islands at present, though the breeding ground there 

 is reported as deserted for some years. The nesting 

 habits are probably not unlike those of its Alaskan 

 cousins except as to season. 



