Jones — On Washington Coast Birds. 



11 



The eggs are beautiful when freshly laid, but very soon be- 

 come begrimed beyond description and recognition. The 

 shades of ground color range from nearly pure white to a deep 

 sea green, and the markings vary from scattering to dense, 



Carroll Islet. 



Figure r) 



California Murre (Vria troUe caUfornica) . A chicle almost 

 hatched in the center of the picture. It is backing out of the largo 

 end of the esrs, where the shell has been broken off. 



and from spots and blotches to irregular lines. The color of 

 the markings range from a nearly black brown to reddish. Of 

 course the pigment is melanin and the dark markings are 

 thick masses of it. while the light markings represent a thin 

 film of it. The eggs are enormous for the size of the bird, and 

 represent the sole reproductive efifort for the year. 



In figure 9 one black downy chick one-day old may be seen, 



