CALIFORNIA WATER BIRDS. 359 



whenever they have the opportunity. When the eggers 

 appear on the scene the Gulls congregate and soon a 

 large flock is formed, circling about overhead with loud 

 cries, eagerly awaiting the flight of the Murres to join in 

 the pillage. 



When exceptionally hungry the Gulls are said to sud- 

 denly descend in a compact flock among the Murres, 

 frightening them from the eggs. One Gull was seen try- 

 ing to steal an egg from under a Murre. The Murre 

 gave a reproachful squawk and with a thrust of the bill 

 drove the Gull away. This was the only show of spirit 

 I witnessed among these inoffensive birds — helpless upon 

 land, but rare divers and swimmers at sea. 



A few well-incubated eggs of the Western Gull and a 

 few downy young were found at the West End. When- 

 ever the eggers came across either they promptly destroyed 

 them, the traffic in Murres' eggs tending not only to the 

 extinction of the Murres, but of the Western Gulls as 

 rivals in the business. That the work of destruction has 

 been effectual is manifested by the fact that only Gulls in 

 the complete attire of adults were seen, those in immature 

 plumage being wholly wanting. At the opening of the 

 season, the Gulls in turn supply the demand of the mar- 

 kets, but the harvest of their eggs is not now great. No 

 other Gull was observed near the island. Heermann's 

 Gull, however, was numerous about San Francisco Bay. 



Oceanodroma leucorhoa. Leach's Petrel.* — As the 

 collection of the Academy did not contain a single Ashy 

 Petrel, one of the chief objects of the trip to the type lo- 



*The Farallon specimens as well as four others at hand from St. Lazaria 

 Island, Sitka Bay, Alaska, have some white at the base of the outer rec- 

 trices. Whether this character is peculiar to the birds of the North Pacific 

 I am unable to determine until comparison is made with Atlantic Ocean 

 examples. 



