172 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XII 
After looking over some of the breeding colonies Owen and myself returned to 
camp leaving Howard on Prince Island with his blankets and expecting to return 
for him in the morning. In the morning, however, the northwester was howling 
again and we w f ere unable to reach him for two days and then only with the aid of 
some Japanese abalone fishermen and their launch. Howard’s story of how he 
subsisted for two days on mussels and gull’s eggs, washt down with cactus juice, 
and how the Anklets persisted in getting in bed with him, is too harrowing to be 
told by an outside party, and I shall leave it for him to narrate in later colums of 
The Condor. 
We remained on San Miguel 14 days, being unable to leave as soon as we had 
planned on account of rough weather. During this time we were rarely able to 
use our skiff and most of our time was spent on the main island. Here there were 
no sea-birds breeding excepting the Baird Cormorant and Pigeon Guillemot whose 
nests were placed in locations inaccessible to the foxes which were numerous. To 
the numbers of the foxes we attributed the absence of other breeding sea-birds 
which were so abundant on outlying rocks and islets. 
The island of San Miguel is about 8 miles long by three or four miles wide and is 
mostly composed of rocks and sand hills, altho there is considerable grass on the 
more elevated portions. This, however, is being gradually covered up by sand 
which is drifting slowly but surely across the island, carried by the prevailing 
northwesterly winds. There are several varieties of shrubs on San Miguel but no 
trees worthy of the name. The most common shrub is the loco weed which is 
the favorit resort of the Song Sparrows. The commonest land birds on 
the island are the Island Horned Lark ( Otocoris a. i ns u laris) , the Rock Wren 
( Sa/pinctes obsoletas ), the San Clemente Song Sparrow ( Mclospiza in. clementac ) 
and the San Clemente House Finch (Carfiodacas in. dementis). The Horned 
Larks had evidently raised one brood of young and were beginning to nest a second 
time. The same was probably true of the Song Sparrows, as full-grown young 
w r ere noted, and other birds taken were evidently about to breed. Bald Eagles, 
Duck Hawks and Ravens were common but no Ospreys were seen. We saw the 
wings of a female Sparrow Hawk that Mr. Ward had shot, and he informed us that 
there were a few Burrowing Owls on the island, altho we observed none. He also 
told us that there had been three Brewer Blackbirds around his house and barn yard 
during the preceding spring. 
The following are the water-birds observed during our stay: 
Tufted Puffin ( Lunda drrhata) . Breeding commonly on Prince Island. On 
June 15, most of the nests contained young or eggs advanced in incubation. 
Cassin Auklet ( Ptychoram ph as a leu ficus. ) On Prince Island, wherever 
there was soil enough to burrow in, the anklets were nesting, and some nests were 
found in niches in the rocks. I also found a few nests on a small island off the 
west end. On June 15 most of the nests contained young of various ages; but a 
few fresh eggs were found. 
Pigeon Guillemot ( Cep films columba) . Breeding commonly in caves and 
niches in cliffs all around the islands. Many nests were found containing young of 
various ages, and fresh eggs were secured as late as June 23. 
California Murre ( Uria t. calif ornica) . About 100 pairs of these birds were 
breeding on Prince Island. On June 15, most of the eggs were advanced in incu- 
bation and a few newly hatcht young were noted. In most cases the eggs were 
deposited on the floors of damp caves, and in some instances had been rolled in 
the mud until the color of the shell was entirely hidden. This Murre colony was 
previously visited byj. S. Appleton in 1906. He took fresh and slightly-incubated 
