﻿BIRDS OP THE TRES MARIAS ISLANDS. 



27 



Colonel Grayson found tliem nesting on the nortli end of Isabel 

 Island in April, 1869, and states that they were breeding in communi- 

 ties on shelving rocks beneath overhanging cliffs. The nests were 

 placed close together, but were inaccessible. A single egg was pro- 

 cured, however, which was white, with scattering brownish blotches, 

 most numerous about the larger end. This is undoubtedly the tern 

 which Colonel Grayson reports as replacing the sooty tern on the 

 Eevillagigedo Islands, and which he described as being black, with a 

 hoary forehead. 



PufHnus CTineatus Salvin. Wedge-tailed Shearwater. 



I'liffinus cuneaius Salvin, Ibis, 5th ser., VI, p. 353, July, 1888. 

 FiiJJlnns Inudseni Stejn., Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XI, p. 93, Not. 8, 1888. 



Daring our trip to and from the islands we saw 100 or 200 wedge- 

 tailed shearwaters. They were usually seen singly skimming along over 

 the sea, at an elevation af a few yards, making widely sweeping circuits 

 and pausing occasionally to pick up bits of food. When about midway 

 between Isabel Island and the Tres Marias we encountered several 

 schools of small porx^oises of 150 or more individuals, which traveled in 

 close array, frequently gamboling about and playfully leaping high in 

 the air. A swarm of sooty terns followed the porpoises, and twice 

 when they passed near us I saw considerable numbers of these shear- 

 waters among the terns. Judging from the numbers, they must be 

 rather common in these waters, but none were seen near the islands. 



This species was first described from specimens taken on the Kru- 

 sen stern Islands, in the Marshall Group, and Mr. A. W. Anthony made 

 the first record of its occurrence on the American side of the Pacific, 

 at the Eevillagigedo Islands, during the summer of 1897 (Auk, XY, 

 Jan., 1898, p. 39). As it is a species new to North America, a detailed 

 description of our specimen is given, in order to facilitate identification 

 in case other examples should be taken. 



Description. — No. 156678, IJ. S. Nat. Mus., Dept. of Agriculture Coll. 

 Ad. $ , off Maria Mandre Island, May 2, 1897. Collected by E. W. Nel- 

 son and E. A. Goldman. 



Top and sides of head and neck grayish-brown j forehead, lores, and 

 space from latter area back beneath eyes and along sides of neck paler 

 or more ashy, thus edging the darker area of the crown and upper neck 

 with lighter. Back, including rump and upper tail coverts, mainly dark 

 brown, but mixed with numerous feathers of a decidedly grayish, almost 

 ashy, shade. These latter feathers undoubtedly indicate the color of 

 dorsal surface in fresh ]>. cun aged birds. Wings and tail blackish-brown. 

 Entire lower surface of body white, shaded with dingy ashy, darkest 

 on sides and. palest along median portion. Under tail coverts mixed 

 dark brown and grayish-brown. Border of the wing along under side 

 brown or grayish-brown; under coverts white with a little flecking 

 of pale gray on some feathers. In the flesh this specimen had a horn- 

 blue bill with flesh-colored feet and tarsi. 



