353 Gilmore SOOTY SHEARWATER (3) 1931 moderately rough water. They are indistinguishable from the Slender Billed Shearwater in flight. Have arbitrarily designated the Shearwaters north of the Aleutian Islands as Slender Billed and those south, as Sooty. This was done merely because I happened to start that way. Nov. 5 Off Cape St. Elias, Gulf of Alaska. About a half dozen of these birds were seen at various times today as they flew in the vicinity of the ship. Whether they were following in our wake or not for refuse, or not, was not easily ascertained for the birds were well scattered and one could not tell whether the closest were the same or different birds, as they flew back and forth over the rough waters. Nov. 15. San Francisco Bay. Perhaps a half dozen birds all told, have been seen since leaving Seattle. They were very shy.