VOL. IX. 



The OoLOGiST. 



ALBION, N. Y., DEC, 1892. 



NO. 12 



Eggs ok the Calikoknia MuKiiK.—Frojnj^/ioto by C. Barloiv. 



Professional Egging; or the Collecting of 

 Murre's Eggs in California- 



"What kind of binlsare tlioseV", was 

 one of the numerous queiies I pro- 

 pounded a deck-hand on lilt' tuuf-liiiat, 

 while on my tri[) to the Faiallmie Is- 

 laud.s this .summer, We liail just steam- 

 ed thi-i)n;rli the Golden Gilr into llie 

 surging I'aeilie, with the gray, iiaicn, 

 .sloping shore on either side gradually 

 ereej)ing away from ns. when a lloi-k 

 of i)eaulifnl hiids, with hlaek liaeks in 

 striking contrast to their snowy white 

 iireasts, winged tiieir rapid tlight across 

 the water from a point near the shore, 

 and gi'aeefnlly settled on the crest of a 

 wave, a short di'itanee from the i)oat. 

 As these were the lirst sea-i)irds I liad 

 noticed. I did md riiuognize tiiem at 



lirst, tliough I could have done so had 

 Ireferreii to my prepared list of the 

 birds I expected to see on the trip. 

 This, liowever, was keeping company 

 with a lime and a piece of codfish, (pre- 

 ventatives (V) of seasickne-ss) in my 

 pocket, and was left undisturbed. 



So I did not attempt to identify the 

 i)irds, but inquired of the deck-hand, 

 who seemed to have a correct knowl- 

 edge of tlie sea fowl, what they were. 

 He glanced towaril the birds and repli- 

 ed: "Tlioseare Murres." Here was 

 my first introduction to the California 

 Murre, and 1 adnnred the Hock as they 

 executed many graceful feats in the 

 water, until the mountainous waves 

 hid liiem from view. 



'J'lie Murre, common as it is, is a 

 beautifid l)ird, and a nicely mounted 



