May, 1909 
ORNITHOLOGICAL TRIP TO LOS CORONADOS ISLANDS, MEXICO 
99 
could not positively identify them. There were none breeding on the islands at 
that time. 
Phalacrocorax auritus albociliatus. Farallone Cormorant. Very abundant 
on all three islands, tlio breeding only on North and South Islands. The Farallone 
Cormorant colony on South Island was rather scattered in the pelican colony, and 
contained from fresh eggs to full grown young. They were very noisy, emitting a 
peculiar croak which sounded like the grunting of a pig. As they made this 
sound their cheeks swelled up very large, growing smaller as they prolonged the 
cry. The young were very much inclined to fight and we could not handle them 
without receiving on our hands scratches and bites. 
Phalacrocorax penicillatus. Brandt Cormorant. Common on all three islands, 
tho the only colony we found was on the southwestern extremity of South Island, 
containing twenty-two nests, three of which contained eggs; the others contained 
very small young. The cor- 
morants were very tame and 
would not flush until we were 
right among them, but were 
rather shy about returning. 
Pelecanus californicus. Cali- 
fornia Brown Pelican. During 
our stay we called on what 
we had supposed, the first 
morning at South Island, to 
be a colony of pelicans; it 
proved to be better than we 
expected, being a large colony 
of pelicans and cormorants 
combined. It was impossible 
to estimate the number of nests 
on the island, as they were 
very scattered and the island 
was steep and rugged. Sev- 
eral nests were found in which 
the eggs were so incubated 
that the young cried out from 
within their shells as they typical nest and young oe California 
were handled, and a portion brown pelican 
of the little bill protruded from the shell. The young are white when first hatcht, 
but change to grey as soon as their feathers grow. However, until nearly full grown, 
much of their nest down remains. We noted that their colors were somewhat nest 
stained. They were very noisy and attempted to bite us as we passed, shooting their 
long bills out at us in a very comical fashion, their bills clicking like castanets. After 
the young are about half grown they gather in flocks and keep close together, 
probably for protection from their enemies. A queer action was that whenever 
they were hungry or frightened they disgorged their latest meals, which the gulls 
were not slow in putting away. For this reason the odor of this colony was 
frightful. 
We found interesting novelties every minute. The most unusual was a young 
pelican whose wings were lockt behind its back so it could not possibly fly and 
had great difficulty in getting around at all. I undid the lock and was rewarded 
with a sharp blow from the bird’s bill which it shot out very swiftly — almost sug- 
