This page needs to be proofread.

88 THE CONDOR -. Vol. XV though we nearly leveled that portion of the island in our attempt. By this time the wind was kicking up quite a sea and we hastened to return to the shelter of the sloop. Early the next morning we rowed toward the west end of the island, and near the water's edge found nesting caves of the Pigeon Guillemot, containing about half-grown young. We set sail. about noon for Santa Cruz Island; and the next few days were spent in loafing about the beautiful little harbors that this island affords. Various trips into the canyons netted little of unusual interest, though the numerous resident land birds were much in evidence. It'was not until the far end of the island ivas reached that the "prize find" of'the trip was made. We had stopped to explore the "Painted Cave" from a scenic point of view, but once there the great number of Pigeon Guillemots pres- ent invited search for their nests. One large sloping ledge, whmh seemed par- ticularly good, was being explored by the aid of a lantern with the hope of find- ing' a guillemot's egg untiatched. The way was dark and as the lantern was flashed about to find secure footing it fell on a small bird crouched on the open floor of the ledge. The bird, evidently blinded by the light, was easily captured and proved to be an' Ashy Petrel brooding a well incubated egg. Thus encour- aged, a most careful search. was made with the result that four eggs and one small young, tegether with the adults, were taken. The "nests" were all entirely exposed, though one was in a shallow hole in the rocky side of the cave. This in light of their usual breeding habits seems strange, because numerous frag'~ ments of rock which had fallen on the ledge afforded hiding places, and were utilized for this purpose by the Guillemots. A single addled Guillemot's egg was an incident of the search, while the young in all stages were quite numerous. We went from the Painted Cave, on Santa Cruz, to Santa Rosa where we anchored over night. This island did not seem very promising and early in the morning of the next day, under double-reefed mainsail, we left for San Miguel, the most northerly and least often visited island of this group. After a long, weary day of sailing and salt water shower-bath combined, we anchored in the bay at about sundown. This island, which is about six miles long and four miles wide, is nothing but a vast pile of continually shifting sand. The wind never ceases and a "calm" day there would he a storm most any where else. The hay is fairly well pro- tected, as it opens toward the east, but even here the sand ladened wind howls unceasingly. The one redeeming feature of this place is Prince Island, a small rocky island in the mouth of the hay. This big rock or little island, which is quite high and steep, is literally alive with breeding birds at this season of the year. To this place we rowed on the morning of the x2th, and found an easy land- ing place for our skiff. Here in suitable places we found great numbers of breed- ing birds such as the California Murre, Tufted Puffin, Brandt Cormorant, and Cassin Auklet. A rising sea warned us that we must hasten back to the sloop while we could safdy do so. The next day W e set sail on the return trip deeply regr.etting that we could not have explored Prince Island more fully. The following is a list of birds observed upon the trip, together with brief comments on each: I, unda .eirrhata. Tufted Puffin. Probable breeding burrows found on the rock on northeast end of Santa Barbara Island. Five birds seen in this vicinity next day (July 3-4).' The birds were quite. numerous on the east e?d of Aria-