The California Murre 



approaches but distantly on the trail, they begin to fly and climb. Today, 

 instead of passing by, I sat down to watch with 8-power binoculars. An 

 egg lay temptingly upon the lower ledge and a gull soon settled to inves- 

 tigate. He contemplated the prospect carefully and gave the egg a 

 quick dab, which sent it rolling into a more convenient position. Then 

 he struck the egg with his beak, broke it open where it lay, and proceeded 

 to devour the delicious contents. Presently a Murre flew past and the 

 gull flinched. Then the Murre returned, struck at him from behind, and 

 put him to flight. Then she waddled to her own egg a foot or so away, 

 and tucked it under her with show of satisfaction. The gull returned to a 

 near-by perch but the sitting guillemot brandished her beak menacingly 

 and the gull kept well out of reach of it. Other gulls were interested by 

 this time and several tried a hand, knowing that the Murre was alone, 

 but when it came to a showdown none dared to try conclusions. Then 

 the first gull returned to his original feast, but another Murre came hurry- 

 ing and tumbling down the ledge and made at the gull with such force 

 that he quit instantly. The newcomer exhibited a proprietary interest in 

 the broken egg, examined it carefully but did not touch it. Another Murre 

 coming up to look was warned off with menacing gestures, but a third 

 arriving at this juncture, gave the egg a hasty glance, seized it by a broken 

 edge and tossed it up the ledge a foot or so. Then she waddled after it, 

 tucked it under her and settled to the task of incubation as if nothing had 

 gone wrong. There she sits even now, without giving evidence of dis- 

 comfort. The first bird who examined the egg was evidently her mate, 

 and when the gull returned once more he launched full at the robber and 

 fairly knocked him off the ledge." 



If, then, the testimony as to the destructiveness of the Western Gull 

 seems not altogether overpowering, there can be no doubt of the con- 

 summate mischief wrought by the prevalence of crude oil. For two dec- 

 ades now it has been the practice of oil-carrying ships, "tankers," to 

 heave to and clean out before entering the Golden Gate. To be sure the 

 practice is illegal, but when does a great corporation stoop to regard so 

 trifling a thing as the law? And if the necessity were explained to them, 

 what average lot of sea-faring men would regard the welfare of a few bob- 

 bing sea-fowl ? Commerce is master and the interests of men are subsidiary. 

 Well; the Murres are nearly done for. The birds must swim, and they 

 must appear for breath upon the surface of the water, where the loathsome 

 crude oil attaches itself like pitch to their immaculate plumage. It smears 

 the belly, it engages the flight-feathers, it impedes action. The frightened 

 bird drags itself ashore to cleanse its plumage. But all it succeeds in 

 doing is to involve the alimentary canal in the slimy infection. Purging 

 and starvation follow, and the lawless tankers have nearly made a bird- 

 less waste of a region which was once a wonder of the scientific world. 



1506 



