26 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



teristic in that family. In their nesting places 

 on ledges of rocky islets they sometimes gather 

 in such numbers as to present a seemingly almost 

 solid mass of birds, while the eggs are found 

 lying so close together that it is actually diffi- 

 cult to walk without treading upon them. 



All the Murres are oceanic birds, only visiting 

 the rocks during the breeding season, and found 

 inland only when driven there by storms. Their 

 food consists of fish and various crustaceans ; 

 this particular species is especially partial to the 

 fry of herrings and pilchards, which are cajitured 

 at night in the open sea. 



Doctor Chapman remarks that " long-contin- 

 ued studies of Murres on the coast of Yorkshire 

 warrant the belief that, although the eggs of 

 no two Murres (or Guillemot as it is termed in 

 England) are alike, those of the same individ- 

 ual more or less closely agree, and that the same 

 bird lays year after year on the same ledge. 

 Murres perch on the entire foot or tarsus, and 

 when undisturbed usually turn their backs to the 

 sea and hold their eggs between their legs with 

 its point outward. W'hen alarmed they face 

 about, bob and bow and utter their low-voiced 

 mtirre." 



CALIFORNIA MURRE 



Uria troille californica (H. Bryant) 



\. O. V. Number 30a 



Other Names. — California Guillemot: California 

 Egg-bird ; Farallon Kind. 



General Description. — Similar to the common 

 Mnrre. but averaging about an inch longer. 



Nest and Eggs. — Like those of common Murre. 



Distribution. — Coasts and islands of the north 

 Pacific : breeds from Norton Sound and Pribilof 

 Islands south to the Farallons. California ; winters 

 from the Aleutian Islands south to Santa Monica. 

 California. 



The California Murre is the most abundant 

 sea-bird on the ofif-shore rocks of the Pacific 

 from Alrivkn to the Fnrallons Tt i- readily 



Photo by W. L. Finley Courtesy of Nat. Asso. Aud. boc. 



AN INCUBATING CALIFORNIA MURRE 



During incubation the single egg is held between the legs with 

 its point outward. Photo taken on island off the coast of 

 Oregon 



recognized by its snow-white breast and sooty- 

 brown back. Its legs are placed clear at the end 

 of its body, so it does a good deal of its sitting 

 standing up. Its attempt to walk is a very awk- 

 ward performance resembling a boy in a sack 

 race. But in water the bird is very expert. It 



uses its feet as propellers and its wings as oars, 

 flashing under water with such swiftness that it 

 can overtake and capture a fish. 



The Murre is a creature of the crowd. To see 

 this bird in great colonies and to watch its home 

 life, one gets the idea that a Murre would die 

 of lonesomeness if isolated. They huddle to- 

 gether in such great numbers on the narrow sea 

 ledges that they occupy every available standing 

 place. There is not the least sign of a nest. The 

 female lays a single egg on the bare rock. One 

 egg is all that can be attended to under the cir- 

 cumstances. One might wonder why the birds 

 persist in crowding so close together. Neighbors 

 always seem to be quarreling and sparring with 

 their sharp bills. They rarely hit each other, 

 because they are experts at dodging. The babble 

 is continuous ; everyone talks at the same time. 



The peculiar top-shape of the Murre's egg 

 prevents it from rolling. The jiractical value of 

 this may be seen every day on the sloping ledges. 

 We tried several experiments and the eggs were 

 of such taper that not one rolled over the edge. 

 \\'hen an egg starts down grade, it does not roll 

 straight, but swings around like a top and comes 

 to a standstill. The shells are also very tough 

 and not easily broken. 



One day we lay stretched out on a ledge just. 



