The Marbled Murrelet 



precipitous cliffs, have destroyed birds of larger size and smashed boats 

 to splinters. It is therefore altogether probable that the life of many of 

 these delicate and diminutive birds is snuffed out during each migration.' 

 "To test the correctness of this observation a young murrelet, which 

 came down the slopes early one evening, was liberated on the beach close 

 to the dashing surf. Without a moment's hesitation, and without the 

 stimulus of a parent's call it plunged boldly into the water, poised a 

 moment on the summit of a great foam-crested wave, and dived with 

 surprising speed and accuracy to reappear ten seconds later as many feet 

 at sea. A momentary appearance, another dive and still another carried 

 it beyond the swirl of the surf, and, swimming rapidly and paddling across 

 patches of kelp always in a bee line, it soon disappeared from view. It is 

 evident therefore that the last sentence of the preceding paragraph is in 

 need of revision." 



No. 295 



Marbled Murrelet 



A. O. U. No. 23. Brachyramphus marmoratus (Gmelin). 



Synonyms. — Townsend's Murrelet. Wrangel's Murrelet. 



Description. — Adults in breeding plumage: Upperparts brownish black every- 

 where save on wings, cross-barred with bright rusty or chestnut, and with lingering 

 traces of plumbeous; primaries blackening distally, changing to gray on inner webs 

 basally; a few white touches on scapulars; lining of wings brownish black; entire under- 

 pays, including sides of head and neck, mottled white and sooty brown (the pattern 

 varying individually, but usually heaviest on chest and sides); the flanks also spotted 

 with rusty. Bill black; backs of tarsi and webs of feet blackish, fronts of tarsi and tops 

 of toes flesh-color. Adult in winter : Entire underparts pure white, the color encroach- 

 ing on sides of head to lore, on sides of neck nearly (but never quite) meeting behind, 

 on sides of rump leaving dark area an inch wide; upperparts chiefly plumbeous, chang- 

 ing to blackish on crown, wings, and tail; feathers of back, etc., with blackish centers 

 and some ashy edgings; scapulars chiefly white, forming conspicuous patches; greater 

 wing-coverts narrowly edged with white. Specimens exhibit every intermediate phase 

 between these two extremes according to age (?) and season. Immature (first plumage) : 

 Upperparts like adult in winter, but blacker without plumbeous; white of scapulars 

 restricted; underparts chiefly white, but finely barred or wavy-marked, save on chin, 

 belly, and crissum, with sooty brown. Length of adult: 254 (10.00); wing 127 (5.00); 

 bill 16.5 (.65) ; depth at base 6.1 (.24) ; width 5.1 (.20) ; tarsus 17.8 (.70). 



Recognition Marks. — Robin size; in winter (when oftenest seen) to appearance 

 a miniature California Murre; black (plumbeous) and white coloration; sharp tapering 

 bill with long sloping forehead; short-necked and low-lying, as compared with Horned 

 Grebe; form elongate as compared with the smaller Auklets; chin white, nape more 



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