The California Marre 



upon to furnish the market some twelve million dozen fresh eggs, were not 

 able, in spite of protection, to cope with new foes nor to stand up under the 

 onslaughts of an ancient enemy, the sea gull, himself a notable beneficiary 

 of protection. 



When I visited the Southeast Farallon in 191 1, for two weeks, I 

 found about twenty thousand California Murres terrorized by about four 

 thousand Western Gulls. Perhaps the gull has his uses, and he is a beauty; 

 but so far as restoring the ancient prestige of the Murres is concerned- 

 why, I would as soon undertake to raise chickens and skunks in the same 

 enclosure. The case would not be so bad on an uninhabited island, for 

 Murres en masse are proof against the assaults of gulls even. But the 

 Southeast Farallon supports an increasing population of government 

 employees, lighthouse keepers, weather men, wireless operators, etc., 



Taken on the S. E. Farallon 



A DIFFICULT PASSAGE 



Photo by the Author 



and these poor exiles have to stretch their legs once in a while. At the 

 approach of a human the apprehensive Murres edge away, and the gulls 

 swoop down to glean the uncovered eggs and to urge the Murres to further 

 flight. 



I503 



