July, 1909 NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF LOS CORONADOS ISLANDS 135 about five hundred feet high. It is covered on the eastern slope with a sparse growth of cactus and ice plant, and occasional patches of grass and low brush. The western slope is devoid of vegetation. This island is more heavily overgrown with brush than the others and consequently contains more birds. The Quail are found here only, and would undoubtedly be quite numerous were it not for the depreda- ions of a wild house-cat, and the occasional visits of excursionists carrying guns. The easternmost of the two middle islands is about three-quarters of. a mile north of South Island, and is merely a large jagged rock covered with low brush and guano. The other is twice as large and lies a short distance to the westward. It contains nothing of interest and is unimportant. About three-quarters of a mile northwest is North Island, the most interesting of the group. This island is one and a half miles long and three-quarters of a .mile wide, and about seven hundred feet high at the highest point. The sides are very steep and are only accessible at the amphitheater-like slope near the eastern extremity. The entire island is overgrown with ice plant, which in the amphi- lqESTIXG SITE OF XANTUS MURRELET IN CAVE AT EXTREME RIGHT OF OPPOSITE SHORE; NORTH ISI.AND. LOS COROllADOS theater covers up a soft powdery earth. While digging out Anklets our clothing became saturated with the sticky fluid from the ice plant, and coated with mud, which made our work very much harder. However, this was not the only strenuous part of our collecting, for during my last trip we were caught in a heavy wind while three miles south of North Island. With the wind and current against us our task was by no means an easy one; but these experiences, if not too serious, lend interest to a trip. On April 4, 1908, Mr. R. H. Beck and the writer made our first trip to the is- lands. The little launch "McKinley" took us out and landed us at the cove near the north end of South Island. We stayed on the Island one week, making side trips to North and Middle Islands to photograph and collect in the rookeries there. Two months later, on May 30, with a friend, Mr. Chester Lamb, I made the second trip. This time we campt on North Island at the base of the cliff on the eastern end. By making two trips at these different dates I was, therefore, able to ascertain with some certainty the breeding habits of the sea birds of the islands. On the
