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174 THE CONDOR VOl. XIII expected places,--an old nest of Rock Wren or Pigeon Guillemot, an inner recess of a Murre cave, an abandoned spur of a Puffin burrow, an overturned wheelbar- row or neglected board lying on the ground, driftwood on the beach--anything affording the slightest prospect of protection or cover. A pile' of coal, sacked up and awaiting transfer from landing to siren, was found to be full of them. Since this was the rule from center to circumference of this magic isle, we conclude that the Cassin Anklet is the cominGnest bird on the Farallones, and estimates of popu- lation anywhere short of one or two hundred thousand do not take account of the facts. The Cassin Anklet seems incapable of controlling the force of its flight, and the wonder is that the birds are not every one of them dashed to pieces in a single night. In this respect they remind one of nothing else so nmch as beetles or moths, which come hurtling iuto the region of candle-light, crash against the candle-stick, and without an instant's pause begin an animated search afoot. This. crash-and-crawl method seems not exceptional but characteristic in the Anklet. It ,was especially noticeable in the paved area just outside our workroom door. Crash! announced the arrival of another food-laden messenger from the unknown deeps. The impact of collision with the building invariably stunned the bird so that it fell to the ground, but it immediately began a frantic search, and, as likely as not, before you could lay hands on it, disappeared in a crack under the doorstep. "Right here. t Right herel" from a certain spot under the flooring proclaimed the home-coming, and so enthusiastic would be the reception accorded the dinner- laden parent that for a time all human conversation was suspended. Fresh eggs were the rule throughout our stay, but this was only the average, and every phase of departuge was noted up to chicks half-grown. Not enough birds without eggs were discovered to establish the fact that the birds occupy their burrows for some days previous to deposition; but such I suspect to be the fact, as is the case with other monotocous species. 4. _Cepphus olumba. Pigeon Guillemot. Present in small numbers from the first, but attaining a maximum of about two hundred June 1st. The gentle "'sea pigeon" nests in crevices anywhere from about twenty feet above tide up to the summit of Tower Hill. Its favorite nesting .range, however, is an immense rock-slide on the east slopes of Tower Hill. Quite contrary to any previous ex- perience with these birds (in Washington), I found all the nests carefully lined, usually with rock flakes, sometimes with pebbles or bits of rusty iron. 5. Uria troille catifornica. California Murre. Because Of its fabled abund- ance and its history of unexampled persecution at the hands of the "eggers", the liveliest curiosity possessed my mind regarding the present status and behavior of this species. In both matters I was destined to be disappointed. For some reason this Murre has not profited by full protection as might have been expected. It has neither increased in numbers nor gained in confidence. The faultlies, I think, chiefly with the gulls, which have profired enormously under near immnnity from human attack. To be sure, the human is oftenest the occasion, but seldom the cause, of the wrong-doing. Our presence was hailed with glad acclaim by the gulls, who, though somewhat fearful for their own treasures, are always eager for an excuse to plunder "the ledges". In fact, the Larine outcry always seemed to be nine-tenths make-believe, being intended to alarm the galleries instead of voic- ing a personal anxiety. Obedient to the tradition, the Murres begin to shift and edge away when the gulls assure them that yonder object picking its way carefully over the rocks is dangerous. It looks harmless, but who knows ? A gull swoops near to the 1edge and ?hrieks, "Fly for your lives, you fools!" The timorous obey