BIRDS OF THE OPEN SEA 13 
from rolling away. The breeding ground of the Pigeon 
Guillemot is that also occupied by the gulls, on the 
lower part of the islands, often near the water's edge. 
Yet surrounded on every side by the nests of the gulls 
and living near neighbors with them, they seem to be 
the only birds which these brigands of the sea do not 
commonly molest. Probably pigeon eggs are not to 
their taste. The baby Guillemot when first hatched 
is covered with thin blackish down. on the head, neck, 
and back, shading to dark gray on the under parts. 
There is no conspicuous coloring to betray him in the 
dark nesting place, for even his feet are dull olive rather 
than red like those of his father. As with our own 
land pigeons, the family always consists of twins, theo- 
retically a male and a female. Like the land pigeons, 
also, they are fed by regurgitation ; but here the resem- 
blance ends, for they learn to dive and swim almost as 
soon as the down is fairly dry, and become expert in 
paddling swiftly with their heads submerged, in a 
unique and very amusing fashion. 
30a. CALIFORNIA MURRE— Uria troile Californica. 
Famity: The Auks, Murres, and Puflins. 
Length : 17.50. 
Adults in Summer: Upper parts uniform grayish brown ; browner on 
neck and sides of head; under parts white. 
Adults in Winter: Upper parts same as in summer ; under parts white ; 
throat and sides of head more or less washed with brownish ; sides 
tinged with darker. 
Downy Young: Upper parts grayish brown, the head and neck finely 
streaked with pearl-gray. Under parts white. 
Geographical Distribution : Coasts and islands of North Pacific. 
