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 MAY., 9o2. I THE CONDOR 55 a difficult problem to reach the rocks at all. Our only method was by launch- ing a boat in the surf and rowing out, then the equal difficulty of landing a.d getting to the top of the rocks. After waiting for about a week we were en- abled to nmke two trips to the rocks. Most of our observations were made on the rock furthest out at sea known as Shag Rock, as it was the most accessible and larger than the others. We as- cended one of the other rocks but found the same species breeding there. A couple of days at such a bird metropolis is a novel experience for a sented its'lf; looking down the rocky slope up which we had come we counted hundreds of nests of Brandt cormorant scattered over the entire length every few feet apart. To the north was a large slope of about 5o yards covered with a rich growth of yellow-flowered weeds, among which many gulls had placed their nests. The whole distance was perforated with the burrows of petrels and puffins. The south side was a sheer precipice and hundreds of feet below the waves dashed against the granite foundation. But their sound was lost in the ceaseless BRANDT CORMORANTS N E$T$ FROM TOP OF ROCKS. person; one who has not been among the sea-birds cannot imagine the sight that presents itself. Our time was too short to make many observations of value or to secure a good series of pho- tographs. At every turn scenes of bird life that would have made interest- ing pictures presented themselves, but the difficulties in the way of success were almost as numerous. When we reached the top-most point of Shag Rock an interesting sight pre- cries of great numbers of sea-fowl that we had aroused by our presence. They crowded about in the air, circling over and darting past ou, heads, watching every move we made. It gave us a wierd feeling and we felt like getting out of the disputed territory. Of the three species of cormorants we found on the rocks Brandt (Phalacro- coraxpenicillalts) was by far the com- monest. The nests of the great colony on Shag Rock showed that they had