The Xantus Murrelet 



ordinarily reaching its hey-day in May, spreads broadly both ways. 



In the day time the male bird is on the nest. I make this statement 

 with a little hesitation, for my opportunity to check it has been limited. 

 He is so quiet that not a sound is to be heard even when the colony is being 

 invaded. In fact the only known note of these birds is the low piping 

 whistle exchanged between the mates when they relieve each other from 

 duty. He makes no show of resistance or protest if the eggs are taken by 

 hand or scoop, even if he himself is dragged from the nest, and he never 

 "flushes." Catch one and throw him into the air. He will drop just as 

 near the ground as he can fly, inches above the rocks, and make a bee 

 line down the steep island side to the water. 



The normal set of eggs is generally given as two, but this is an error. 

 I have the complete record of the 96 sets collected by Mr. Carpenter, 

 to which I have added the last four taken in his presence to bring the 

 figure to an even hundred. They show one set of four eggs; four sets of 

 three eggs each; forty-nine sets of two eggs each, and forty-six of one 

 each; total one hundred sets. Undoubtedly some of the sets of one, if 

 undisturbed, would have had a second egg. But a study of the data 

 shows that the ratio of sets of one and sets of two is nearly even, and 

 would not exceed 3 to 2. The number of eggs should be given as either 

 one or two. I have made a special examination of the set of four. It 

 is one set and the work of one bird beyond any ground for argument. 



It is worthy of remark in this connection that in not one of these 

 hundred quoted cases or any others that I have been able to find has the 

 bird made an attempt to improve its nesting site, either by burrowing or 

 by bringing in soft material on which to deposit its eggs. This is the 

 more surprising from the fact that the shells are not particularly strong, 

 and the number that crack through contact with the bare rocks is very 

 large. 



The eggs are almost as large as those of the domestic hen — some egg 

 for a bird of this size! They show an endless variation in color, even 

 within the sets, from dark chocolate to plain sky blue. The majority are 

 yellowish-gray with spots and blotches of green, purple, or brown. But 

 there is no coloration that could be called typical. 



That more details are not known of the life of these birds is because 

 at sea they are difficult to observe, and ashore they are nocturnal. If you 

 camp in one of their colonies you will be disturbed soon after nightfall by 

 the inrush of the birds. They give an undeniable impression of being 

 frightened, — rattled. Amid great confusion they exchange places on the 

 nests; a process repeated again just before day-break, accompanied by 

 bangings against the ground and the rocks that an aviator would term 

 poor landings. 



'493 



