July, 1903 | 
THE CONDOR 
97 
be taken in its removal, because auklets have very sharp toes! When once out 
from its dark burrow and brought into the bright light, the bird had some trouble 
in getting its bearings; it would flutter about hopelessly a few moments and then, 
suddenly righting itself, dart quickly over the cliff toward the ocean. I watched 
several during a performance of this kind and found I could follow them with my 
eye until they struck the water, when the color of the bird and that of the floating 
kelp blended so nicely, that, at a distance, one could not be distinguished from the 
other. 
In many of the nests there were young birds ranging in age from those newly 
hatched to ones nearly full grown, having only a little down clinging to the fea- 
thers about the neck. The little fellows were of more interest than the others; 
they looked for all the world like little black chickens, downy and soft, but too 
dainty to handle. When brought into the light they would sit blinking at you 
with the wise expression of the proverbial owl. 
We examined in all a great number of nests and found ver}'^ few empty ones; 
in those containing young birds, the parent bird was always absent, as there would 
be hardly room for the old bird and a young one half grown. Our observation 
extended only to this one colony. I have no doubt that the birds nested else- 
where on the island; but our time was limited to part of one afternoon and the 
next morning, so we could not do as much exploring as we wished. We finished 
off nicely, and having plenty of specimens, were anxious to set sail for Santa Mon- 
ica, where we could get a square meal and a good wash. Our captain, while an 
expert oarsman, was a headstrong sailor, and no doubt questioned the old adage 
that “a miss is as good as a mile.” His curiosity respecting the truth of this often 
carried us into some ticklish places, and we were heartily glad to scramble up on 
the wharf at Santa Monica and feel something solid beneath our feet again. 
Notes from Santa Barbara, California 
BY JOSEPH M.YIEEIARD 
W HILE in Santa Barbara, recuperating from illness, from the middle of 
April until the latter part of July of last year, I utilized my time in doing 
what little ray health would allow in the way of collecting birds and 
notes appertaining to them. My efforts being greatly restricted by circumstances 
the results were not by any means as great as could be desired, yet it was my in- 
tention to publish a list of the birds not noted in Jeffries’ article. Auk, V. April, 
1888. On second thought, however, the probability of being able to do more and 
better work in this vicinity at fntute dates leads me to postpone doing so until my 
notes are more voluminous. Later on, with the assistance of Mr. A. P. Redding- 
ton of Santa Barbara, I hope to be able to publish an annotated list that will be of 
greater interest and value. 
Birds seemed to me to be very scarce that spring, and this idea was confirmed by 
residents interested in such matters. My observations were necessarily confined 
mostly to the outskirts of the town, and in this territory the apparently abnormal 
destruction of birds’ nests was most noticeable. Though not making a specialty 
of nests a good many were noted. Not being allowed to climb trees, those above 
reach could not be observed, but of the many recorded for the purpose of noting 
