14 WATER BIRDS 



Breeding Range : From Farallones to Alaska. 



Breeding Season : Approximately, May to August. 



Nest: A bare flat place on cliffs, no lining, no protection. 



Eggs: 1 ; pear-shaped; varying from white to buffy, amber, and pale 



green. May be either unmarked or streaked with brown. In size 



they vary from 3.50 X 1.90 to 2.05 X 1-45. 



The great Murre rookery of the California coast is 

 on the Farallone Islands; until the last few years 

 their eggs were a common product in the markets of 

 San Francisco. According to figures furnished by Mr. 

 Leverett M. Loomis, the collection of Murre's eggs at 

 the Farallones in 1896 amounted to 7,645 dozen, all 

 of these being shipped to California markets. Mr. 

 Loomis also says : " In 1885 three hundred thousand 

 eggs were gathered. The market became glutted, one 

 cargo being dumped into San Francisco Bay and another 

 abandoned on the island." According to another au- 

 thority, five hundred thousand eggs were sold in less 

 than two months, — all collected in one limited portion 

 of South Farallone Island, and, " in the opinion of the 

 eggers, not more than one egg in six was gathered." 

 Fortunately the Government has now forbidden the 

 collection of eggs and the molesting of the birds on 

 any portion of these islands, and no one is allowed to 

 land except by permission of the Government Light 

 House Inspector. 



Besides being robbed by human enemies, the unfor- 

 tunate Murres have to wage continual war against the 

 Western gulls, who steal their eggs the moment their 

 backs are turned, or even snatch them from under the 

 mother bird. Possibly for this reason they often choose 



