934 THE CAI.IlM )K.\I A MIRKE. 



The Calil'i >niia Murrc's imtcs consist cliicHy of a inuinhk-il and api >!' it^fi-tic 

 iTC cti'. or a loiiiUr (;;';\' of pi'otcst ; l)Ul occasionall\' tlir l)ir(ls f\i)li ulc in 

 slentorous kcraiclcs, al)sur(ll\ out of character witli their mild eyes. Tlie 

 name Arrc. wliich is ajipUed to a closely related s])ecies iti the North .Vtlaiitic, 

 is matiifestl}- imitative. 



Colonies of these California Murres are found in Washington only upon 

 the protected islands of the Olympiades: one on the (irenville Pillar, others 

 on W'illoughby Rock, jagged Islet, Paahwoke-it, and Hahaaht-aylch (Carroll 

 Islet ). The entire breeding population might not exceed one thousand pairs, 

 an insignificant numher comjiared witli the myriads which swarm in faxored 

 localities both north and south. an<l. especiallw upon the b^aralli >ne:- of 

 California. 



The F'arallone hnniirrit's (as the nesting colnnies of Murres are called lare 

 fatuous as the scenes of unexaiupled commercial ])luuilei'ing. "in 1X30 the 

 {•"arallone Kgg Compau}' was organized to collect and shi]> the eggs of the 

 (.'alifornia Miirre for the San b^-ancisco market, and by 1X3(1 it was estimated 

 that three or foiu" millions of eggs had licen sbijiped"''. These eggs brought 

 nearly as much in the markets as hens' eggs, and were uu(|uestionably good 

 eating: but it was not a sipiare derd for a bird whose normal outfiut is one egg 

 jier annum. The dc|iredatious liad tutallcd nearl\- a million dozen when, in 

 1897, the attention of the Lighthouse P>oard was called to llie sadl\- depleted 

 condition of the colonies, aufl the looting was stojiped. 



In Autumn llie Murre la\'S aside its modest lirnwu cloak and assumes a 

 still soberer one of black. Tlie white of the uuder])arts is also luore extensive 

 in winter at which season alone this bird a])pears in numbers upon the channels 

 and expanses of Pnget Sound. It is pi'obable that llie winter population con- 

 sists ahuost exclusively of .\lask;m liirds, while our nati\e birds retire to the 

 California coast. They are usuallv fairl\- warw ])lunging at sight of the 

 approaching steamer, oi' else making off rapidl\- near the surface of the water. 

 One which ap]ieared in the liarlior of Seattle in Februarw howe\er. seemed 

 enamored of our town. Tliis guileless creature, to our tremliling surprise, al- 

 lowed us to a])proach in a rowboat to within fifteen feet o| him liefore (living, 

 and that onl\- at the snap of the shutter wliich marked the recording ot his 

 ])ortrait. We w.aited some time for the bird"- rea]3pearance, but did not locate 

 him again imlil an hour afterward and a half tuile fttrther up-shore. .\gain 

 we rowed ])ast him on the side, and then backed ti]) frotu the simny iptarter. 

 This time we got within ten feet of our friend from Sitka, as he lay. filled 

 with a mild cui"iosii\-, full length upon the water. .Again and again we ]>ur- 

 siicd, ha\ itig coucei\ed the notion of snapping him in the act of di\ing. But 

 each time the preparatory moxetiients of diving were made so rav)id!y that 



W. Otto F;mcr?on in Tlic Condor, Vol. VI., p. 62. 



