THE CALIFORNIA MURRE. 929 



white centrally below, and hrnwnisli dusky above with lance-linear white streaks 

 on head and neck. Length of adult about 15.00-18.00 (381-457.2): wing 8.30 

 (210.8); bill 1.85 (47). depth thru angle .57 ( 14.5 ) : tarsus 1.50 (38.1). 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size; black and white coloration; aquatic habits; 

 .sharply pointed wings; rapid, graceful flight; tapering head, slant of forehead 

 nearly conformable to that of bill. 



Nesting. — Single cyg laid on ledge of rock, in cranny or in cave, shar])ly 

 tapering at one end, very variable as to ground-color, ranging thru white, grayish-, 

 bluish- or greenish-white, to deep sea-green and variously marked, spotted, 

 s])lashed, scrawled, or stained with brownish or purplish black or even (rarely) 

 rufous. Av. size, 2.30x2.00 (58.4x50.8). Season: June; one chick. 



General Range. — Pacific Coast of North .-\merica. resident from llering 

 Sea south to southern California. 



Range in Washington. — ComuKju resident on the West Coast, breeding on 

 certain of the Olympiades, notably the Grenville Pillar. W'illoughby Rock, Carroll 

 Islet, Paahwoke-it, Old Rock, and Silversides. Not common winter resident on 

 Admiralty Inlet, more common in winter on Washington Sound and adjacent 

 waters. 



Authorities. — Rhoads, .\uk, \'ul. N. Jan. 1893, p. 17. P.. E. 



Specimens. — ( L'. of \\.) Prov. C. E. 



AS we approach one of the towering citadels which the sea-birds ha\'e 

 known for ages as home, our pixsence will not pass vmnoticed. Scouting 

 Puffins, Shags, and Gulls will liax'e reporteil us unfa\-iiral)l_\- tii their waiting 

 companions; while the P>lack Oyster-catcher, that i)rince of yellow ji 'urnalists, 

 will have publislied a lurid account of our misdoings, when as yet we are a 

 hundred \-ar(ls removed. Conspictious among the anxious, hurrxing throng 

 which expects our approach, are bevies of California Murres, swifter of pace 

 and more graceful in motion than either Puffins or Cormorants; and they 

 go hurtling abotit without apparent object other than to maintain their share 

 of the general e.xcitement. 



The Murres, however, are easily satisfied, and will si >. m return to their 

 ledges to await our more jiarticular inspection. The main colony on Carroll 

 occupies a bare shoulder not over seventy-five feet from the water; yet to 

 reach it one must scale the island, tunnel thru the dense brush and timber on 

 its crown, descend a Puffin slope, and take a very pretty dehle, which not only 

 looks but is perpendicular, run a gauntlet of croaking Shags, and arrive at last 

 upon the proximal end of the Murre ridge. The father Murres have fled 

 again, but a crowd of females remain huddled together, shifting uneasily 

 vtpon their eggs, or backing away from the nearest ones, uttering the while 

 apprehensive hoivs. All the birds in turn bow extravagantly, using only their 

 heads and sinuous necks, and .so frequently that a colony viewed from above 

 looks something like a grain fielil under a breeze. 



If the intruder does not press his advantage too hotly, those that have 



