July, 19o 5 I BIRDS FRO3,[ THE WEST COAST OF LOWER CALIFORNIA lupe; but after May 1st the least, black, Socorro, and Kaeding petrels appeared, becoming more numerous during June and apparently passing north to the breed- ing grounds from the regions south of Socorro Island. Mr. To?vnsend secured but one specimen of Oceanodroma socorroe?tsis at Socorro Island and saw very few March 9th, a so that it is probable that the bulk of the birds were still to the south- ward at that date. It is interestivg to note in this connection that so far as we were able to ascertain, there are no sea birds nesting on Socorro Island at all, with the exception of the terns nesting on the outlying rocks. Mr. Townsend found burrows that he judged would be occupied later by petrels, '? but I am constrained to believe that these were the burrows of the land crabs, which swarm over the island. These crabs are so voracious and bold that it would hardly be possible for even a shearwater to withstand their attacks, and this is probably the reason why, although thousands of shearwaters nest on San Benedicte thirty miles away, none nest on Socorro, there being very few crabs on San Benedicte. Phaeth0n ?ethereus LINN. Red-billed Tropic Bird. Breeds sparingly on San Benedicte Island May and June; seen near Socorro, Clarion and Roca Partida Islands, at sea; seen off Magdalena Bay on June 6th. Phaethon rubricaudus Bo?)D. Red-tailed Tropic Bird. Known in these waters from the single specimen taken by our party near Guadalupe Island on July 23rd. Sula cyanops SusD. Blue-faced Booby. Common on San? Benedicte and Clarion Islands, breeding; lresh eggs were taken as early as April 3oth and as late as June 1st. This booby, as well as d?;ula brewsleri and 3?ula fiiscalrix websl?ri, is often seen fishing at Socorro Island, but as far as we could see none of the boobies nest on Soeorro. Sula brewsteri Goss. Brewster Booby. Brewster booby breeds sparingly on San Benedicte Island, the eggs taken during May being partially incubated. Should Sula brewsteri nesiotes HELLER & S2qODGRASS? prove tenable, these San Ben- edicte Island birds nmy be referable to the latter race. Sula piscatrix websteri RoamsC?tL?). Webster Booby. Webster booby is by far the most numerous of the three boobies nesting on the islands of this group. It nests abundantly on San Benedicte and on Clarion Islands, the nests on the for- mer island being placed on grass lmmmocks, etc., while on Clari(m the m?jority of the nests are placed on the tops of the low tree (l)odonrea viscosa L.) which grows in rather close thickets ?r groves on certain portions of the island. The eggs are laid during May, Phalacrocorax dilophus ?lb0ciliatus RH)(3w. Fara!lone Cormorant. Noted on Todos Santos, San Martin arid San Geronimo Islands March loth t0 f5th; rePOl?!ed as breeding commonly along this coast from San Diego to the Cape. Phalacr0c0rax pen!cillatus (B}?^?r)T). Brandt Cormoraut. Todos S/i:fltos, San Martin, San Geronimo and Cerros Islands, March loth t? 3Ist; breeding range and abt!ndance apparently about the same as that of the Fatallone cornlorl/nt. Phalacr0c0raxpelagicus resplendens (Au?.). Baird Cormorant. Noted only on San Geronimo Island, where a few iudividuals were seen on ManWich [5th. P?!ecanus erythr0rhynch0s G?EL. American White Pelican. A small flock of these birds was seen on San Geronimo Island on March I5th. Pelecanus calffornicus RIDG. California Brown Pelican. Abundant on San Martin Island March I2th, where it is known to breed. Fregata aquila Li?. Man-o'-war Bird. The frigate bird breeds commonly on San Benedicte and Clarion Island, full grown young and" .!?esh eggs (second a. Cf. Town?end, Birds from the Coasts of Western North America, etc. Proc. U.?. 7?l'at. Mus., XIII, x89 o, ?34-5.
