The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1891-03-31
THE ADVOCATE.
AroorINo GREAT RooKERIEs.
Tons of Sea Bird Eggs on the Far
allon Islands Stolen by
Poachers.

while Great Britain rigidly protects
's even tho smallest birds on her own
territory during the nesting season
she does not disdain to lay violent
hands on the mammals of neighbour
ing friendly power, and on the Other
hand, that friendly power to wit, the
United States looks calmly on while
its wild fowl are decimated within
sisht of its shores by aliens and even
by its own citizens. For it so hap
pens that the sea birds and land birds
which annually visit the Farallon
group for the purpose of reproducing
their species have foe to reckon with
whose grasp is as ruthless as ii is fatal,
Some idea may be formed of the an
nual defamation Of California and
North Pacific sea birds when it is
stated that 100000 of eggs were
brought into the San Francisco mar
ket from the Farallones in four years,
and that in an immense majority Of
cases the parent bird produces but a
single egg-uone more than three.
Even at the present time the average
import of sea-birds' eggs from the
Farallones is 10000. annually. By
:. courtesy they are called the eggs Of
the s'murre." AS matter of fact, the
s'murre" or "raZor bill" is a toler-
ably exclusive inhabitant of the sea-
board of the Atlantic Ocean north of
Cape Henry. The Farallon rookeries
afford, even under the existing con-
ditions OF rapid ~depopulation and
bare-faced, unchecked spoliation,
wonderful example of the prolific
power of nature on the shores of
sub-tropical :. land. The principal
island---tHe South Farallon-on which
the lighthouse is situated, may run
short Of portable water in very dry
seasons, but the lighthouse people
would never starve for want of ami
NAL food. Nevertheless, the birds are
gradually deserving the island. The
bones of numerous species of Pacific
coast birds are rarely never seen now
are common in the sheltered caves Of
the group. The various species of
auks and puffins, the guillemots,
the corm6rants are common, and the
plovers and petrels still breed on the
islands, but other California birds,
once quite familiar visitors to the
group, have sought abodes less dis
turbed by the egg poacher, the orni-
biologist, and the pot-hunter. OF all
Z the birds ON the group the puffins are
the most picturesque and entertaiaineg;
fo;eA- Itor and the ornithologist
The aux family is, however, the prin-
cipal contributor to the egg poacher's
wallet.toJust as soon as the "merry
month of May" approaches there is a
stir among the small schooners and
sailing-vessels in San Francisco bay,
and silently, ''like thief in the night"
each skipper works his way out be-
tween the heads of the far Farallones.
hills crew, mostly composed of Greeks
Il Italians, with liberal sprinkling
4 * Sater-front castaWays, effect a
unperceived landing on the
"a Farallon, usually on the Sugar
Loaf rock, toSthe northwest, because
that is theNpot whore the birds breed
earliest. The cliffs are quite rugged,
and with a perpendicular Of nearly
$50 feet, so the sport is no child's play,
and accidents are not infrequent.
Each egg-hunter is furnished with q
i shirt of special construction, provided
with an open front for slowing away
the eggs and bed of soft seaweed
about the waistband for the eggs to
rest on. A good hand will pick up
>and get away with about 200 eggs a
? day in this manner The eggs of the
: ''murre" so-called, are quite familiar
objects in the grocery stores of San
Francisco about the end of May or the
beginning of June. The earliest eggs
: Sare laid two or three weeks before
Ghis, but the poachers usually break
Mem up for fear of bringing added or
Aten eggs to market. tits curious
!. Scumstance about the annual impor-
~ (tion of the eggs of the murre and its
Kindred, that the taste of consumers
become sated.> In the abstract these
eggs are very cheap, and contain an
immense amount of nutritious matter
in small compass. But the rank,
fishy taste cannot be banished by the
culinary skill, and inference is that the
bulk of the eggs that find their way
into the market are put to some use of
!. -whish the public is not aware.-San
francisco Chronicle.
The Manitoba and Northwestern
and tho, Canadian Pacific railways
shave ag} Us down throughsNorth Da-
kota drumming up settlers for a new
colony that is being established at the