Page:Condor13(6).djvu/15

Nov., 1911 ANOTHER FORTNIGHT ON THE FARALLONES 183 42. Salpinctes obsoletus obsoletus. Rock Wren. The presiding genius of the Farallones, fearless, inquisitive, thrifty, and always happy. There is not a secret of the island which the Rock Wren does not know, for she pokes and pries into every crevice, examines every movable fragment of rock, stick, or bone, with a view to appropriation, scrutinizes every form of insect life with a view to assimila- tion, bugles from every rock-crest, greets the descending light-keeper in the cool gray of the morning, chirrups at "Snoozer", the island mascot, as she passes in her go-cart, titters at the Cassin Auklet brooding iu her gloomy cell, mocks at the dignified "sea parrot", and stirs things up generally. At the time of our visit the first broods of young were shifting for themselves, and the &dult population was busy with second nesting. Five occupied nests were found, besides several promising "empties", without half trying. Of these, two contained pure white eggs, five and six respectively. The set of five was normal in Fig. 54. XVAIFS OF THE SEA PHALAROPES? RED AND NORTHERN, FEEDING ON SOUTH SIDE OF SOUTHEAST FARALLON size and shape; but the eggs of the larger set were much undersized, and absurdly shaped, being chopped off, squared, or flattened, like plaster pellets done by hand. One egg, by way of exception to these exceptions. was elongated, instead of short- cried--evidently amateur work. All the Rock Wrens wore their old clothes. Either their seclusion has made them indifferent to the prevailing fashions, or else they had worn out their wed- ding duds earlier in the season. The "splitters" have had their jealous eyes on these Farallon birds, but so far the wily Wrens have managed to keep within the bounds of Salpinctean propriety--a wide enough range, to be sure. 43. Hylocichla ustulata ustulata. Russet-backed Thrush. Several birds arrived on the morning of May 29th, and they skulked about the rock-slides or central elevations during the remainder of our stay. One was taken from the cypress grove.