188 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XIV 
and still more so with fleas, making a stay in the locality a perfect nightmare. 
One has but to stand still for a moment and upon looking down, dozens of the 
little pests are to be seen crawling up one’s legs. 
A number of Cassin Auklets {Ptychoramplnis alciiticus) and a specimen each 
of Xantus Murrelet (Brachryamplitis hypoleucus) and Black Petrel (Oceano- 
droiiia melania) were seen on the way from Ensenada. I searched diligently for 
nests of the two former species, and was convinced at the time that no small sea- 
birds bred upon the islands because of the plague of rats, but on April 25, 1912, 
Mr. George Willett found several nests of Cassin Auklets, which proved that 
they do breed there in limited numbers. 
Larus occidentalis. Western Gull. These had finished the construction 
of their nests in several small, well-defined colonies, and were jealously guard- 
ing them, either singly or in pairs, from the thievery of their neighbors, but no 
eggs had been laid when I left. 
Larus heermanni. Heermann Gull. A few seen. 
Sterna maxima. Royal Tern. Two noted. 
Puffinus griseus. Sooty Shearwater. As we were steaming past the 
islands down the coast April 12, vast flocks of what I took to be this species 
were seen flying half a mile out to sea. 
Phalacrocorax auritus albociliatus. Farallon Cormorant. Nests of this 
Inrd and the pelican were commingled in two colonies on the south island. Only 
a very few birds visited the rookery during the first two days of my stay, but 
by the last day flocks of them were coming in from the sea, and standing about 
the old nests ; and an individual could occasionally be seen carrying seaweed. 
Phalacrocorax penicillatus. Brandt Cormorant. Many old nests were lo- 
cated in the niches of the low cliff along the shore, and the birds were common 
on the surf-washed rocks, but they showed no signs of breeding yet. On a rock 
twenty miles farther south some of these birds had eggs. 
Pelecanus californicus. California Brown Pelican. A few of these also 
were to be found inspecting the old nests, but here at least no eggs had been 
deposited. On the farther end of the north island, however, there was a very 
large colony, as could be seen by the birds in the air. The fishermen informed 
me that the pelicans had eggs there at this date. I wish to describe here the 
actions of a flock of these birds, evidently from Todos Santos, which I witnessed 
April 13 some fifteen miles down the coast. I saw the same thing several times 
during 1910, but to a less marked degree. Having done no work on any of the 
islands during the fall I am unable to state whether this is a form of nuptial 
or courtship flight, but should judge this to be the case. At four o’clock I 
noted a very large flock of pelicans feeding, and shortly afterwards the school 
of fish which they were pursuing left. Some of the birds settled down upon the 
water while others began circling in the air on motionless wings. A moderate 
breeze was blowing. Singly the ones in the water took wing and joined the 
circling throng until there must have been a hundred and fifty birds in the air, 
forming an irregular but clearly defined column or rather cylinder, some hun- 
dred yards in diameter. Gradually some birds mounted higher until they were 
specks in the sky, while others were but fifty yards above the water. More than 
an hour elapsed beween the start and finish of this flight. The flock remained 
over almost the same spot, and at no time did a bird show indications of diving 
or looking for fish. Their soaring was very even, and I noticed no flapping at 
