BIRDS OF THE OPEN SEA 13 



from rolling away. The breeding ground of the Pigeon 

 Guillemot is that also occupied bj the gulls, on the 

 lower part of the islands, often near the water's edge. 

 Yet surrounded on every side by the nests of the gulls 

 and living near neighbors with them, they seem to be 

 the only birds which these brigands of the sea do not 

 commonly molest. Probably pigeon eggs are not to 

 their taste. The baby Guillemot when first hatched 

 is covered with thin blackish down on the head, neck, 

 and back, shading to dark gray on the under parts. 

 There is no conspicuous coloring to betray him in the 

 dark nesting place, for even his feet are dull olive rather 

 than red like those of his father. As with our own 

 land pigeons, the family always consists of twins, theo- 

 retically a male and a female. Like the land pigeons, 

 also, they are fed by regurgitation ; but here tiie resem- 

 blance ends, for they learn to dive and swim almost as 

 soon as the down is fairly dry, and become expert in 

 paddling swiftly with their heads submerged, in a 

 unique and very amusing fashion. 



30a. CALIFORNIA MVRRK— Uria i mile can fomica. 



Family : The Auks, Miirres, and Pufiiiis. 



Length: 17.50. 



Adults in Summer: Upper parts uniform grayish brown; browner on 



neck and sides of head ; under parts white. 

 Adults in IVinter : U|)per parts same as in summer ; under parts white ; 



throat and sides of head more or less washed with biowni>h ; .sides 



tinged witli darker. 

 Downy Young: Upper parts grayisli brown, the head and neck finely 



streaked with pearl-gray. Under parts white. 

 Geographical Distribution: Coasts and islands of North Pacific. 



