144 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN DIVING BIRDS 



that appeared to have a school of small fish completely at its mercy. The 

 fishes were in a mass about as large as a bushel basket near the surface of the 

 water. The bird kept diving down, back and across, with the result that the 

 fishes acted as though thoroughly frightened; at least they made no attempt to 

 scatter or to seek safety in the depths. 



The same writer (18976) says: 



Small fish caught by diving seemed to be the standard article of food, but 

 dissection of the stomachs also showed remains of some small mollusks. A 

 shoal of candle-fish was sure to have among its followers, besides a cloud of 

 Pacific kittiwakes, several of the murrelets. 



Behavior. The flight of this species is very swift, direct, and 

 strong, usually close to the water when on its feeding grounds, but 

 at a great height in the air when flying inland. Its wings are small 

 but very stiff and powerful, and they vibrate very rapidly. Like 

 most of the Alcidae it is equipped with wings as small as it can use to 

 propel it through the air and as large as it can use to advantage 

 under water; they are a compromise between the requirements of the 

 two media, but enable it to actually fly, and swiftly too, in either. 

 The marbled murrelet rises quickly and easily from the surface of 

 smooth water and dashes away, gaining full speed very quickly. 

 Doctor Grinnell (18976) estimated the speed as "not less than 100 

 miles an hour," and says: 



The murrelets have a peculiar habit when rising from the surface of the 

 water of falling back and touching the water two or three times in rapid suc- 

 cession before gaining full headway. These same birds have another strange 

 habit of flying at great heights over the ocean and even across large islands. 

 They become active and fly in this manner at dusk, and may be seen leaving 

 the water in pairs, and starting upward uttering their wild, weird cries. 



The marbled murrelet dives so quickly that it is almost impossible 

 to see how it is done and under water it uses both wings and feet to 

 produce its rapid locomotion. Doctor Grinnell (18976) made some 

 interesting observations on a wounded bird at close range, of which 

 he writes : 



The feet seemed not of very great aid in diving, except at change of direction, 

 when they were moved in alternate rhythm. The wings gave regular strokes, 

 about two beats in three seconds. To my wonder most of the diving horizontally 

 was performed with the belly upward and back downward; that is, in a reverse 

 position to that during flight through air. I do not think this was an excep- 

 tional case on account of the disablement of the bird, and on second thought 

 it does not seem strange. 



The reason for this is obvious when we realize that the buoyancy 

 of the bird's body tends to bring it to the surface and that it can not 

 fly downward in the water except by exerting its force in a direction 

 exactly opposite to that required to rise in the air. 



Winter. The winter range of the marbled murrelet extends from 

 its breeding grounds in Washington all along the coast to southern 



