THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



19 



Birds they were, indeed, and when we 

 ran up close to the shore and dropped 

 anchor in "Fisherman's Bav," and some 



one fired off a rifle, the effect was astound- 

 ing. The air became suddenly clouded, 

 and our ears were assailed by the alarmed 

 cries of the countless army of sea-birds, 

 frightened from their eggs. Murres, Cor- 

 morants, Tufted Puffins, and above all, the 

 Gulls, contributed a din such as would 

 have given Dante points on a new In- 

 ferno — but to me it was all music 



The California Murres, the represent- 

 ative birds of the Islands, lay their vari- 

 c ilored, pear-shaped eggs on bare rock 

 on the steepest crags, in caves, and 

 almost everywhere, save on the few low 

 flats near the shore, where many West- 

 ern Gulls choo?e to build their nests of 

 coarse Farallone weeds, and in the hol- 

 low spaces under certain boulders the 

 Pigeon Guillemot lays her two eggs. 



It is impossible to es- 

 timate the number of 

 these Murres. The 

 Greeks, with their queer 

 ' 'egg shirts, ' ' may scour 

 the cliffs season after 

 season in gathering the 

 eggs, but the number of 

 the birds seem in no 

 wi-e diminished. An 

 excellent group of M ur- 

 res is shown in our first 

 illustration , from a pho- 

 tograph taken by C. 

 Barlow. 



So much has been written on the Faral- 

 lone birds that it is difficult to add anything 

 new. Some observer has stated that the 

 Cassin's Auklet on the Islands does not 

 burrow. This is a mistake. Many of the 

 Auklets lay their eggs in holes in soft 

 earth in places where it can be found. 



The Pigeon Guillemot (so like a Guille- 

 mot and so like a Pigeon ) is found in 

 rather limited numbers. Most interesting 

 are these pretty, graceful birds, looking so 

 petite and modest among an army of 

 clamoring Gulls. I believe the questioned 

 statement that they gather small stones 

 for a nest is true, in most instances. I 

 noted the flat stones and pebbles about 

 their eggs often and they did not appear to 

 be accidental. The Western Gulls lose no 

 opportunity to carry off the one egg so 

 jealously guarded by the mother Murre. 

 The Gull is a pirate of the most arrant 

 kind, and when disturbed in its depreda- 

 tions its remonstrances partake of the 

 nature of unmixed profanity. 



THE.:EGGERS. 



