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¬ 
parts, 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 w r hite, 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 w r hite. 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.x (.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 
I484 
