Nov., 1910 
NOTES FROM LOS CORONADOS ISLANDS 
187 
During my whole stay I saw but one covey of about twenty Valley Quail 
( Lophortyx calif ornicits vail i cola) < on July 7. They were so far advanced in molt 
at this date that they were almost naked. According to some authorities these 
birds are very slightly different from those on the mainland, but I am afraid that 
they will never reach the rank of sub-species, for unless someone succeeds in killing 
the one black cat that is now on the island, they are destined to be speed- 
ily exterminated. 
On May 26 I discovered a male Western Tanager ( Piranga hidoviciana) 
percht upon a rock above the sea and occupied in gazing longingly at the water. 
This bird staid near camp for two days and then disappeared. 
On June 111 caught sight of two yellowthroats — most unusual birds to be 
Fig. 58. COLONY OK BRANDT CORMORANTS WHERE SEVERAL BLACK 
PETRELS WERE ALSO FOUND NESTING 
found on a dry island. I had no gun with me and could not again find them on 
succeding days, so I have no idea as to their identity except that I do not think 
they were Geothlyftis irichas arizela. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first 
record of either of the two last species having occurred on Los Coronados. 
The study of our sea-birds in their nesting haunts contains elements of inter- 
est which no other form of field-work holds. Too little is known about the nidifi- 
cation and habits of most of our deep sea wanderers. To be among a colony of 
petrels after dark, or to sit on the rocks at dawn and listen to the love-talk of the 
pigmy murres as they return from a night’s fishing, is alone worth the stale water, 
the hard work and the loneliness of a long stay of weeks on one of the desert 
islands of the Pacific. 
