August, 1897. 
Water-Birds Observed. 
23 
Large numbers of these birds were seen during the day off 
San Nicolas Island, between it and Santa Barbara Island, but no 
breeding colony was discovered on the former. 
3. Brachyramphus hypoleucus —Xantus’s Murrelet. 
Common out in the channel betweeen San Pedro and Catalina 
Island. A specimen was secured May 13, near Santa Barbara 
Island, and others seen. 
4. Cepphus columba —Pigeon Guillemot. 
Very common along the precipituous rocky shores of Santa Bar¬ 
bara Island, where they were breeding. Mr. Gaylord and my¬ 
self found four slightly-incubated sets, three of two eggs, and 
one of one egg, on May 15. They were in a large cave on the 
north side of the island. -This cave had evidently been hollowed 
out by the surf which thundered far back into the narrow 
chasm. On one side was a shelf extending for some distance 
into the cave just above tide mark. On this bench were strewn 
large boulders. As we entered the cave, several Guillemots 
flew out past us, and a careful search in the crevices and under 
the boulders, by the scanty light of matches, disclosed the eggs. 
They were laid on the bare gravel, usually far under some slab 
of rock, where they were hard to reach. The birds did not 
come back while we were in the vicinity of the cave. Two 
specimens of the Pigeon Guillemot were taken. 
5. Lams occidentalis —Western Gull. 
4 
This bird was noted nearly everywhere we went. A small 
colony were breeding on San Nicolas Island, and immense num¬ 
bers on Santa Barbara Island. On the latter they were nesting 
on the outer margins of the mesa, nearly the whole way around 
the Island. A good many were nesting on the sides of the hills 
in the center of the island. Full sets were of three. On May 
18, about twenty sets of fresh eggs were collected, but as yet 
only few of the nests contained full sets. The nests were slight 
depressions among the weeds and grass, with a scanty lining of 
dry plant stems and grasses. One Western Gull from Santa 
Barbara Island was preserved. 
6. Larus californicus —California Gull. 
Immature birds of this species were always seen about San 
Pedro harbor, and even far out in the channel. One was noted 
May 12 off Catalina Island. 
