THE CONDOR 
Voi. xni 
edge iiRv indebtedness to Mr. Ritcliie for his vigorous, nnselfisli work throughout 
our entire stay. 
On the last triji I was compelled through lack of other means of transporta- 
tion to make the return trip in a large sea-going cedar canoe, which was manned 
by two stalwart pearl divers. These islands are now isolated. A 3 'ear ago a nois\^ 
little steamer made the trip down the forty miles of intervening water from San 
Diego irregularh' ever>' week, but this has been abandoned now and the islands are 
onl\' visited by coasting fishermen, or perhaps smugglers. 
My first impre.ssion of the two middle islands, where most of these observa- 
tions were taken, was unfavorable. Devoid of vegetation around the sides except 
for a spot here and there of scrub ice plant or wind blown cactus, thev appear 
barren and desolate. ]f\' the time Petrels are readv to lay the Brandt Cormorants 
( Phalacrocora.x pciiirillatiis'^ and Western Gulls ( Lams ocrido/ta/is) , which make 
their homes on the rocks, are deserting their summer homes. Skirting the oull^dng 
rocks, an occasional flitting Coronado Song Sparrow { Mclospiza ni. coroinUonmi) 
log. 16. MIDDLr: ISn.SXI), I.OS COROX.SDOS, SHOW- 
ING .-VRR.\ OCCUPIKI) HV PKTRErS 
or San Clemente House Finch ( ( 'arpodanis nicxiranus r/ciiicid/s) were the only land 
birds .seen. These with an alarmed Black Oystercatcher i Haonatopiis hachiiiaiii) 
and a few Western Gulls perched overhead on prominent rocks were all the birds 
in sight. Not until we had landed could the amphitheatre, the chief home of the 
Petrels, be distinctly seen. But here in a few hours time, on my very first visit in 
P)05, I found enough to prove 1113 - first impre.ssion entirely wrong. Desolate? 
No! P'or hundreds of stout little feathered beings resorted to this spot for their 
summer home. 
The easternmost of the two middle islands I found to be the most accessible: for 
while landing on the other middle island our cedar canoe was overturned in deep 
water, and shot gun, kodak, and egg boxes were drenched, but finalh’ rescued. 
On this island I found Socorro Petrels in the greatest numbers, and with hard work 
succeeded in collecting a representative series of eggs on July 3, 1909. Mr. Ritchie 
and I took in all twenty-two sets of Socorro Petrel and five sets of Black Petrel. 
At this date the eggs were fresh, but the Socorro Petrels were not breeding com- 
