188 THE CONDOR VoL. X back edge of the beach, there were 236 nests; and in the largest division, that on the southern hill-top there were 700 nests containing eggs, not exactly, but ap- proximately, for we got confused in one place. Thus there were 980 occupied nests, besides many others in process of construction. At the very minimum there were 2000 pelicans here assembled. We collected five sets of two eggs each to save as specimens, a very modest representation from the standpoint of the old-fashioned egg-collector! But these few were recorded with great care, and photos of the nests secured. The eggs at this date (April 19) were largely either fresh, or incubated but slightly. One set was far advanced in incubation, but no hatched young were seen on this island. Probably on this account no freshly caught fish were to be seen about the nests, TVPICAL NEST OF WHITE PELICAN FROM SOUTHERN HILLTOP OF ECHO ISLAND, SALTON SEA tho several very large dried carp were noted, doubtless left over from last year's nesting time. A few dried-up young of last year were also seen. The usual num- ber of eggs in a nest was two; several sets of three were seen, and oue of four. (Donham later arranged a surprise for me, and I found a set of ten!) The nests varied greatly in size and composition, according to location. A nest on the drift line just at highest water mark was a tall, steep-sided affair, like the pictures I have seen of flamingo's nests. Appropriate material was plentiful, consisting of sections of plant stems, chips and chunks of punrice. Planks and railroad ties sometimes interfered with the symmetry of the nests. The fiuer nmterial had evidently been heaped up by the bird as she sat on the nest. For the nests were often surrounded by radiating spoke-like grooves, plai?fly bill marks.
