New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-07

bunch OF coarse straw and seaweed, a large
birds egg slightly warm. long and pointed in
shape. light blue in color. spotted, and pecul-
iarly blotehed with brown markings; 1t meas
ured 81 inches long by rs inches wide. Being
on the United states Biological Survey for West
chester County at the time. he sent the egg to
Washington. where 1t was Identified at the
Smithsonian Institution by Charles Richmond
and Dr. J. w. True; at the National Museum by
DR.. w. L. Ralph. and at the Department Of Agri-
culture by Dr.. Fisher. all pronouncing it to be
the egg Of the rare Brunnlchs murre (Uria
lomvia), the first authentic record OF one found
in the United States
The Norwegian naturalist NordenskJ6ld de-
scribes the home OF the murre in Spitzbergen
where they found in incredible numbers
breeding in the talns two hundred metres high
about seven hundred feeD along the steep
slopes of the coast mountainsides "These
stones form the palace of the murre, richer In
rooms and halls than any other In the wide
round world" climber among these tains
sees at intervals actual clouds OF owl suddenly
arise from the ground. and. after they settle
again amid increasing cackling and din. pack
themselves so closely together that from fifteen
to twenty can be killed at a single shot.
Dr. Nansen. in "Farthest North" mentions
then, az seen on the rocks and reefs OF Franz
Josefs Land in company with the auks. kitti-
wakes, sea doves. rosy gulls and other Arctio
birds which he found during his explorations.
A member Of the Peary expedition OSSo-9O
has said that he found the murre breeding In
large numbers on the shore or Southern Green
land laying their eggs on the rocks about
June l.
Not far from Great Macatna Harbor, Labra-
dor are the Murre Rocks, consisting of several
low islands destitute Of vegetation and not ris-
ing high above the water. Thou ands OF birds
assemble annually here in,the beginning on May
TO lay their single eggs and rear their young
The fishermen call them the foolish guilemot'
because of their fearlessness when attacked. IL
one Of their number is killed the others, instead
of flying away in alarm swarm about the huht-
er. who. IL he chose. could keep on killing them
at short range until none were left
The Brunnch's murre lays only one egg' IN
which respect It differs from other members OK
its family. as the razor billed auks and puinns
Law two. and the guillemots lay three eggs
They afford excellent food being highiy nutri-
tive and palatabe whether boiled roasteu'
poached or in omelets. While Matching the egg
the murre plucks feathers from its breast. leav-
ing a single spot bare just large enough to cover
the egg. The male incubates as we'll as the
female although more assiduous. When as
turbed the bird flies off in silence, whereas the
auks and other Arctic birds utter hoarse croaA-
ing sounds The young INJURIES burst their egg
about the beginning OF July, and are covered
with a brownish- black down; as they gro" up
they are more at ease in the water than on lafu'
and by the middle OF August they follow their
narents into open sea, though scarcely able TO
gv and \ month later hardly any Of the BIRDS
GRO "a be found on or near the islands where
they breed although whether disturbed or not
they return to the same place year after year.
and continue to multiply rapidly. They move
through the air in rapid flight, singly or In
hands Sometimes they skim along the surface
~ Tho ocean for miles; at other times fly at the
height of thirty 10 forty yards above II" 1hey
are expert divers, their food consisting Oh S''"''
6sb shrinps and other marine animal lie
Audubon says that the Brunnich's murre used
to nest in Boston Harbor. but the recofo
unon which he backs this assertion Is the au-
tboritv Of an old gunner. who said that when
ha was a boy the birds used to breed on the
rocky islands in the bay, but for twenty years
hack 1sO3) none remained after April j, all
denarting for the Far North in company with
the auks puffins and elder ducks. all Of which
visited the bay in winter
There Is no accounting for taste" neither Is
there any known reason why a solitary murre
sbould depart from the ways of her kindred and
lay an egg so far away from home. -