The Surf-bird 



Its nesting haunts, indeed, are still unknown, being vaguely surmised to 

 exist somewhere in the interior of northwestern Alaska. Grinnell came 

 nearest to striking the Aphrizine gold-ledge when he secured three 

 specimens on the 29th of May, 1899, some forty miles up the Kowak 

 River; for his Indians recognized the bird by name and affirmed that it 

 nested about certain small lakes in the tundra near the Selawik Moun- 

 tains. Unfortunately, he was not able to visit the indicated spot. 



On a blowy day in May, 1912, the 3rd it was, one of my boys and I 

 lugged the camera across a plowed field toward a rocky point some ten 

 miles west of Santa Barbara. Peeping cautiously over the brow of the 

 cliff we descried a large company of mingled Shags and Surf-birds 1 . 

 The cormorants rose hurriedly and after them the Aphrizids, but the 

 latter settled again while we accomplished a long detour which brought 

 us up, panting, behind a line of rocks substantially on a level with our 

 prizes. I snapped hurriedly at 150 feet, then set out more carefully to 

 make a series of photographic approaches. First, I crept on hands and 

 knees across the upper beach to a jutting rock which offered a little 

 shelter; then advanced by slow stages in a direct line. What matter 

 though the sand was wet and plastered here and there with blobs of crude 

 oil! Were they not Surf-birds! Ever and again I snapped. At the 

 sixty foot range a jealous wave engulfed me as I squatted Turk-fashion 

 upon the sands. No matter. It would not do to put the cause to hazard 



1 The substance of this account was published in The Condor, Vol. XV., January, 1913, pp. 5-S. 



Taken near Santa Barbara 



Photo by the Author 



SURF-BIRDS FEEDING ON REEF 



1335 



