May, 1909 ORNITHOLOGICAL TRIP TO LOS CORONADOS ISLANDS, MEXICO 97 reacht San Diego. The bay being reacht only by a very narrow and winding channel we did not enter until the following morning. There we left Mr. Long to return by rail, and that evening at 8 P.M. we arrived off the South Island of the Coronados group. We sounded and anchored in twenty-eight feet of water. Bright and early the next morning we were up and made for the bay which lay about a half mile from us. We noticed along the cliff facing us quite an area of guano, and many pelicans, cormorants and gulls flying about, indicating a colony. Arriving in the harbor we were at once struck by the beauty of the little bay, at the back of which rose a sheer cliff 300 feet high. On the right was a small cliff, above which was a steep cactus-covered slope to the summit. On the left was a low cliff, above which was another steep slope. The bay was as clear as crystal and very deep. Having anchored about the middle of this cozy little bay we took the punt and landed on a ledge underneath the cliff, there be- ing no beach on which to land. This was no easy task; we had to watch our chance and go in on top of a wave, jump out, and lift the boat bodily from this ledge to one above. It was still more difficult to launch the s-kiff, our clothes being drenched both coming in and going out. These islands are located about fifteen miles south of San Diego. There are three main islands: North, Middle and South. Their names in- dicate their position. They are very high and rugged, the highest being 672 feet and about a mile long. The only good harbor, and that only suitable for small craft, is the little bay on the northeast side of South Island in which we PORTION OF COLONY OF I*ARALLONE CORMORANTS ON SOUTH ISLAND anchored. There is no water on these islands. Consequently there is little vegeta- tion-cactus and ice plant being the most abundant, tho there was some kind of a scraggly bush scattered thruout. The first day was spent in making camp and looking around a bit on South Island. The next day we went to North Island, which is about two miles to the northwest. But when one rows to it, it is about forty. We could not sail on account of the kelp. We stopt at Middle Island to examine a small gull colony, weight nests with eggs. There were a few cormorants roosting on rocks, and a pair of oyster-catchers circled around us. One of the latter, which we shot, led us a merry chase thru the surf. We then continued our row to North Island on which we found large colonies of auklets with young, and colonies of gulls with young. The young gulls ran all over the island like chickens. There was a large colony of pelicans with almost full-grown young. The number of these we could
