Sept., 1911 
A IlVIlkll) OUAll, 
l.Sl 
will be foiitid a remarkabl\' even Italaiice of characters derived from each; this is 
especially true of the coloration. In size it more nearly approaches the larger 
species, but the tarsus is the same length as that of L. r. rah foniir/is. Interesting 
results might be obtained from a study of series of specimens from the same 
locality. * 
SOME BIRDS OF THE SAX OUEXTIN BAY REGION, BAJA, 
CALIFORNIA 
By ALI'RBI) H. IIOWIDA. 
S AX OUEXTIX BAY is a body of water some five miles wide at its greatest 
width, and seven miles long, situated midway between Eat. 30° and .B° N. 
With the exception of a very narrow and tortuous channel the water is but a 
few feet deep, and at low tide the extensive mud and sand flats which are exposed 
make ideal feeding grounds for vast flocks of waders. It is the winter home also 
of hordes of ducks. To the eastward lies a plain thirty miles long, which gently 
slopes upward until ten miles away it is gradually lost in the foothills of the San 
Pedro Martir Mountains. This plain being rather barren and dry has few forms of 
bird life except at its lowest portion where there is a series of fresh water lagoons. 
Between the bay and the sea lies a .strip of wind-blown sand. 
From April 26 until May 3, 1910, I was at the village of vSan Guentin; and 
from July 19 until the 23d we were anchored in the bay. The following statements 
hold good for both visits unless otherwise stated. 
I passed San Martin Island l opposite the bay) at 4:30 a. m. on April 26. 
Black-vented Shearwaters (Pafinas opisl/ioDicias) w’ere swarming around the 
boat, circling in their characteristic way, while a great many could be seen leavin.g 
or returning to the hillside where a large coloin- was evidently nesting. Cassin 
Auklets ^ Ptyrhorainphns a/ciitin/s) and Xantus Murrelets { Brarhyrainphits 
hypoleuciis) were also pre.sent in some numbers, while White-winged vScoters 
( Oidcniia de,i>;laudi) were numerous both outside and inside of the bay. Peli- 
cans { Pclccamis califoruicus) and both of the Cormorants { I dialacrocorax a. albo- 
ciliaius and P. penicillatus) sailed past us, but not until we were well inside the 
bay did I see something which I have always longed to observe. A sandv tide 
island w^as black with cormorants, but it was too far away to determine the species. 
There were acres of them, scores of thousands, and after we had passed they began 
to leave in a long black ribbon, never varying in thickness or width, and continuing 
for more than an hour, b\^ which time we had passed out of sight. 
Twenty miles from land, on July 24, four Black-footed Albatrosses ( Diomedea 
iiigripcs) put in an appearance as we were becalmed, and remained with us 
throughout the day, paddling about the boat, and investigating in the most friendly 
way imaginable. I threw bits of bread to them when they were within ten feet of 
me, but excei:)t for carefully examining it, they would have nothing to do with it. 
One of them continually craned his neck straight up as far as it would go, while 
swimming in circles around another. All four left for the open sea late in the after- 
noon, in the w'ake of two large whales. 
At this time Piiffiiius opisthomclas seemed to be absent, but on the 19th I wdt- 
* Mr. Geo. I). Peck has g'enerousl.v <lonalecl this .si)eciineii to the Ciiiversity of California Mu.seuin of Vertebrate 
Zoology, in which it is no. 19113 of the ornithological collection. — 11. S. S. 
