The Ancient Mur re let 
and throat nearly to chin (where clouded with plumbeous dusky); black of head still 
more overlaid with plumbeous, the sides at first with terminal skirting of plumbeous 
dusky appearing as sharp transverse bars on white ground, then clearing to nearly 
uniform plumbeous ashy; white feathering of corona and shoulders merely indicated. 
It is not clear from material at hand whether the bird assumes adult characters the first 
spring; probably not. At any rate adult birds in Monterey waters are beginning to 
take on nuptial plumage in January, while unmodified juveniles are still to be found in 
March. Downy young: Underparts pure white throughout; upperparts chiefly 
mingled black and white, becoming pure black on top and upper sides of head, and on 
cervix, wings, and flanks. Bill black; feet and tarsi yellowish in front, blackish behind. 
Length of adult: 241.3-266.7 (9.50-10.50); average of 10 Monterey adults: length 
(skins) 259.5 (10.20); wing 133.6 (5.26); culmen 13.2 (.52); gape 27.4 (1.08); depth at 
rear convexity of culmen 6.9 (.27); tarsus 26.9 (1.06). 
Recognition Marks. —Robin size; white crown-stripes distinctive in summer. 
In winter, nape more broadly sooty-plumbeous than B. marmoratus, bill much shorter 
and showing yellowish on sides; chin and throat washed (this being the general effect, 
it is really mottled) with plumbeous dusky, where B. m. is pure white. 
Nesting. — Does not breed in California. Nest: a burrow in bank or crevice in 
cliff. Eggs: 2; elliptical ovate or elongate ovate, pale olive-buff to dull pinkish buff, 
marked faintly, finely, and rather uniformly with olive-brown and violet-gray. Av. 
size 61.1 x 38.6 (2.405 x 1.52); index 63. Season: April 20-July 28; one brood. 
General Range. —Coasts and islands of northern Pacific Ocean and southern 
portion of Bering Sea; breeding from Alaska Peninsula west along the Aleutians to the 
Commander and Kuril Islands, and east to southeastern Alaska (Forrester Island). In 
winter south to the coasts of California and Japan. 
Occurrence in California. —Fairly common winter resident on the ocean 
throughout the length of the State; occasionally visits the harbors. 
Authorities.— Steineger ( Synthliboramphus antiquus), Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 
vol. ix., 1886, p. 524 (Monterey); Loomis, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, vi., 1896, p. 17 
(occurrence off Monterey); Bishop, Condor, vol. vii., 1905, p. 141 (Pacific Beach, San 
Diego Co.); Howell , Pac. Coast Avifauna, no. 12, 1917, p. 22 (s. Calif. ids.);Bc«/, U. S. 
Nat. Mus., Bull. no. 107, 1919, p. 132 (life hist.;desc. nests, egg, etc.). 
AS IN THE CASE of the preceding species, but much more com¬ 
monly, this old-man-of-the-sea spends his winters in California waters. 
Records of occurrence abound, but the favored observers, with one ex¬ 
ception, have not given us any full account of the bird’s behavior in 
winter. The happy exception is Mr. Loomis, who in the winter of 1894- 
95 was stationed at the Hopkins Seaside Laboratory; 1 “About five hun¬ 
dred yards from the surf, a belt of drift kelp, extending from the Seaside 
Laboratory around Point Pinos, had gained an anchorage on the rocky 
bottom. The narrow strip between this breakwater and the beach was 
the favorite resort of Ancient Murrelets, except on the rare days when 
there was a north wind, which invariably drove the bird life of the bay 
away from the exposed south shore. A good many were also found near 
•Reported in Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2nd Series, Vol. VI., 1896, California Water Birds, No. II—Vicinity of 
Monterey in Midwinter, by Leverett M. Loomis, pp. 17-18. 
