Sept., 1910 SUMMER TRIP TO NORTHI?RN SANTA BARBARA ISLANDS 173 eggs on June 6 of that year. I believe this is the first record of' a breeding colony of these birds south of the Farallon Islands. Western Gull (Zarus occidenlal[s). Breeding commonly on all out-lying rocks and islets. Fresh eggs were found as late as June 18. Heermann Gull (?Larus heermanni). Common, feeding along the beaches. Royal Tern (Slerna maxima). Several immature birds seen and one taken at the west end of the island June 17. Altho this bird has been reported breeding on San Miguel, I am satisfied that none were nesting there this year. We went over the island thoroly and found no evidence of their breeding and only observed the birds in the one instance as noted above. Farallon Cormorant (Phalacrocorax a. albocilialus). There was quite a large colony of these birds breeding on Prince Island. Many of the nests were placed in the cactus patches on the eastern side of the island. On June 15 we found nearly full-grown young, and eggs in various stages of incubation. Brandt Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillalus). The most abundant of the cormorants on Prince Island, breeding in several large rookeries. Nests contained from fresh eggs to nearly grown young on June 15. Owing to the ravages of the gulls some of these birds must lay several sets of eggs before they suecede in raising young. In one colony of about a hundred Pairs which we past on the morning of June 15, all of the nests contained eggs. On our return in the afternoon there were not a dozen eggs in the whole colony. The cormorants had been frightened from the nests by our presence and the gulls had done the rest. I collected one set of 6 eggs of this species. Baird Cormorant (Phalacrocorax resplendens). Breeding commonly on the cliffs everywhere. Stone young were noted, but most of the nests contained eggs. Fresh eggs were found as late as June 19. California Brown Pelican (Pelecanus californicus). Five nests containing
young were found on Prince Island, June 1.5.
White-winged Scoter ( Oidemia deglandi); Surf Scoter ( Oidemia perspicillala). Immature birds of both these scoters were common around all the islands visited. They are plentiful along 'our southern California coast thruout the entire summer. Western Willet ( Caloplrophorus s. [nornalus). Flock of 10 or 12 birds seen at the west end of the island June 17. Wandering Tattler (tieleraclilis incanus). One or two seen daily during our entire stay. Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). Male taken June 21. Black Oystercatcher (]-[aematopus bachmani). Breeding commonly on detacht rocks and islets. Apparently nests nearly a month later in this locality than it does on the San Luis Obispo coast. (See Willett, Condor XI, Nov. 1909, 186-187.) The earliest nesting record I have from San Miguel is that of young about two weeks old taken June 23. Five sets of eggs were taken as follows: Set of 2, incubation about one week, taken by Owen, June 9. Set of 2, fresh, taken by Howard, June 10. Set of 3, fresh, by Willerr, June 17; and 3 slightly incubated, and two fresh, taken by Appleton and Willett, June 18. The following birds were observed at sea: Least Tern (Slerna anlillarum). Feeding commonly at sea on June 24 about 18 miles out from the southern Ventura County coast. These birds were probably from a colony which J. S. Appleton has noted breeding near Hueneme. Pink-looted Shearwater '(Puffinus creatopus). First noted off Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands June 7. By June 24 it had increast in numbers until it was quite plentiful.
