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 July, 19o2. I THE CONDOR 99 b:rd photographer, and was published in THE CO.'DOR for Novemter-December t9o. We would suggest to Bro. Reed that some one has deceived him. In fact all publishers find it a necessity to discriminate closely in this day of too-frequent fraud photography, and if we mis- take not, among the hundreds of bird pictures published in various periodicals during the past year, are a number suggestive of the fact that the subject had lost all interest in mun- dane things long before it made its advent be- fore thc camera. In the minutes of the May meeting of the Northern Division published in THE CONDOR for May the paper entitled "The American Ornith- ologists' Union of 84o-45" should have been credited to Mr. Witruer Stone. Mr. H. W. Fowler kindly secured and presented the paper before. the lub, much to the enjoyment of those present. CORRESPONDENCE. ALBEMARLE ID., Galapagos, April , via Ecuador and San Francisco, June 30. Editor THE CONDOR: We are just down from the top of the island where we've been skinning for a few days; scaring wild cattle and dogs, getting rained on and looking at a sulphur tactory have been sec- ondary amusements. The little shot pistol is all right in this country either for birds or cat- tle. Have been using it altogether except on flamingos. There we used a shot-gun and secured several. Saw their nests of mud from which the young had just walked. The most complete one was only six inches high on a rock in a lagoon. Several other nests in poor shape were within a foot and a set of four stilts was twenty feet away on the same rock but a foot above water. The stilts nest here commonly judging by their actions, The flamingos were moulting and four of those shot had no primaries. They seem to shed them altogether. I noticed the birds did not fly, but walked about in the lagoon in which was six inches of water and two or three feet of mud. One of the most in- teresting things lately noticed in the bird line is the extreme tameness of the hawks up at the ranch. The natives hang up their meat out- side the house, by the fire, or any place handy and if it isn't watched the hawks are liable to eat it all before leaving. I saw a native knock two on the head with a short stick while they were eating his meat. Yesterday two of us were skinuing a tortoise under a tree, throwing the meat a few feet away and soon there were ten hawks within fifteen feet of us in the grass eating the meat, while eight or ten more sat in the trees either too full to eat or waiting for a chance. The small (eospizaful(znosa which is the most common bird in the group is a great friend of the tortoise on the island. I have seen over a dozen different birds hopping about on different tortoise's backs, necks and heads. It is an easy way to get the grass seeds of which they are fond. The birds pick the seeds off the tortoise's head and nose while the neck is extended and on no occasion did the tortoise seem annoyed. I saw a bright red Pyrocephalus taking a ride on a tortoise's back the other day. He rode several feet before flying off. There are some large tortoise on this island about 500 pounds in weight at a low estimate. We hope to get one or two alive before leaving this island. On To,-er Island we struck a petrel colony,-- a colony like those you read about. We saw some thousands of them flying about a cliff and they were evidently seeking nesting sites, as many of them would dart into a crack or crevice in the lava. I spent half a day bruising my hands on the rocks trying to find eggs. Found several shearwaters' eggs but no petrels. Among the thousands of birds seen not a single O. ,ffracaDs or O. c3,pto/eucra was observed, all of them being P. tethys. I mentioned in a former letter that I had never seen but one young booby in a neet, tho' many with two eggs. Since then I have noted several Neboux's boobies with two young ones, all sizes up to a month old at least. Have seen two or three sets of three eggs of Neboux's boob/es out of perhaps too nests examined. These boobies, the males especially, have a most comical manner of walking about while guarding the nesting site. It consists of a very high step with a critical inspection of the ground before him, tail pointing skyward and peculiar looking eyes and mien, are some of the characteristics. I think we have one or two photographs showing some of the poses. The frigate birds interest me greatly. I have not vet been able to get a photograph showing he fullest sized pouch of the breeding male. Have seen dozens when without the camera or when in too much of a hurry to secure what was wanted. They are tame as other birds. I caught one on Tower Island with iuflated pouch and did my best to dimin- ish its size but failed. The males secure uearly all the nesting material, bringing it to the female who watches the nest and places the material. If a nest is left 1)y both birds for half an hour no nest is there on their return, the males from the other nests having taken all of it. The loving caress and tender cooing of the males seem more fitting to a gentle dove than to these pirates who get most of tbeir food from the boobies. Buenos tarde, R. H. BECK.