The California Mur re 
in the “fittest” specimens— 
fittest, that is, to survive— 
the little end marks the center 
of a circle whose radius is 
the longer axis of the egg. 
This provides for mainte¬ 
nance on narrow ledges under 
ordinary circumstances; but 
a sudden flight of the Murres 
is bound to precipitate some 
of the eggs, whatever their 
shape. 
Not only are bare rocks 
and ledges utilized, but eggs 
are deposited under project¬ 
ing stones, in crannies, caves, 
or even old puffin burrows. 
When the birds nest in shel¬ 
tered situations, one pays a 
fearful price for close ac¬ 
quaintance. A Murre rook¬ 
ery is not so bad where the 
purifying rains have access 
to it, but the stench of a pro¬ 
tected cave is overpowering. Eggs are sometimes so encrusted with filth 
as to be immovable, and fledglings are born into conditions which would 
shame harpies. 
Apropos of this indifference to sanitation may be mentioned the 
birds’ preference for White-crested Cormorants, a favorably situated 
nest of the latter being almost sure to attract a small group of nesting 
Murres to its immediate vicinity. What compensating advantage this 
arrangement may afford them we do not know, for they are certainly 
doomed therein to a dismal martyrdom as targets for the Shag’s impartial 
distribution of whitewash. Moreover, a hobbledehoy cormorant is likely 
to become very much excited over the advent of a birdman; whereupon, 
clamorous of escape, he goes stravaging over these mild-mannered satel¬ 
lites with exquisite ruthlessness. I have seen a group of Murres bowled 
over in this fashion like ten-pins, not once but three times, after which 
the birds chiefly aggrieved managed to extricate themselves from the 
tangle, and made off grumbling. 
Murre chicks are not provided with abundant down, like baby puffins, 
or even guillemots. They are scantily supplied, instead, with a stubby 
Taken in Washington 
From a photograph. Copyright IQ07 , by W. L. Dawson 
THE AWKWARD SQUAD 
1499 
