New-York tribune., 1903-06-07

nests the burrow nests and the nests that were
no nests at ALL says Woods Hutchinson. writing
in The Contemporary Review" about a visit
to a rocky islet off the Oregon coast The grass
nests were those OF the gulls and the cormOrants;
the puffins and petrels occupied burrows; while
the INJURIES and guillemots. who formed at least
two thirds of the occupants OF the rock laid
their eggs any odd spot of the bare rock
which level enough to keep them from roll
ing right off into the water. And indeed some
of their nest spots scarcely even fulfilled this
condition. for the eggs would hardly stay there
unless the bird sat them to hold them in
place.
The most workmanlike and comfortable look
ing nests were those made by the gulls and as
this is the only creditable thing know about
them 1 hasten to set ii down here. They are
useful beasts scavengers, three Of them being
equal to a turkey buzzard and ten of them to
a pig. but they will steal like Congressman
and murder like a pirate. They swarmed In the
wake of our party like vultures after a battle.
and long before the rightful owners. whom our
approach had frightened away. dared to return
to their nests. these sanity looking scalawags
swooped down upon the unprotected eggs and
young. right under our very noses.
Here a curious illustration Of the rimi-
tation Of their intelligence The larger eggs they
promptly broke with their powerful bills and
sucked at once; no need to teach them to suck
eggs But turning suddenly I happened to catch
sight Of one Of the rascals Siding up to a beau
tiful white petrers egg, which had been fshed
out Of its burrow and laid the sod. waiting
for the egg basket. dy first impulse to
throw clod at him, a petrel's egg was some
thing of a prize; but he was so evidently
puzzled that I decided to risk that particular
specimen. just to what he would do. His
a n vi ovaI cd
thing, at least three inches long; but this round
white sphere, scarcely than inch in
diameter, was another sort of pebble After
poklng 1t gingerly once twice with his beak
to see If it might be something squashable in
the berry or jellyhsh line he decided that the
proper thing to do W. to swallow it whole.
Again restrained myself. hoping fervently that
1t would choke him; but after one or two violent
gulps. during which. by some miracle it es-
capped breaking, he coughed it out again and
deposited it on the rock His reasoning evi-
IDENTIFY ran, It's neither big enough nor coIored
enough to be breakable; it's too big to swallow.
give it up He next turned his bushwhacking
attention to couple of dead cormorant nest
lngs which happened to occupy the next nest
1--WE found a number of dead nestIings on the
rock. from what cause We were quite at loss
to determine: possibly cold. previous atten-
tons on the part OF the guls), and picking one
of them up tried to swallow a wing Of it, As
this declined to go down without the rest Of
the body, which hopelessly too big even
for a gulIs cape. he fused around with it in
a dlsgusted sort of fashion for several minutes
and then calmly picked it up. carried it to the
edge of the rock and dropped it over. When
he found it again. the beach ledge below, it
would probably be more amenable to reason
in the matter Of swallowing piecemeaL Obvi-
ously eternal vigilance is the price Of safety,
even on Bird Rock. and the brooaing murre sits
as close as she does for two reasons-to keep
the egg on and to keep the gulls OFF.
Inc colors OF the various eggs present some
interesting problems. Several of them con-
form to the protective theory perfectly Those
OF the gulIs for instance, which lie right out on
the open ground IN their large, grassbuilt nests.
with nothing between them and the sky eX-
cept a few thin spears of grass or wiry sprigs
OF yarrow, are tinted a dull, earthly brown, with
darker splotches, matching their surroundings
so perfectly that constant vigilance had 10 be
exercised to keep us from stepping on them be
fore we them Those of the puffins and
the petrels being deposited in the ends OF bur
rows in almost total darkness ana utterly in
visible to any enemy, were naturally devoid Of
color. pure white-NatUre, so to speak. wasting
pigment where none was needed.
But what is TO be said to the eggs of the
cormOrants, which were as utterly exposed as
those Of the gulls and in the open bowls of
much larger nests. built up, funeral-pyre fash
ion, foot more above the surface of the
ground 5y the debris of successive generations;
twigs grass. feathers. and last but chiefly. dried
fish bones. the disgorgad remains of former din
ners. Instead of being brown even gray or
neutral in tint they were of a staring white.
with slight skin-milk. blush tint in them.
and of rough chaIky surface, just as if they
had been recently sneared by amateur white
washer. And, indeed the lime coat Of then
shells was so loosely attached that they would
make a broad chalky mark when rubbed upon
a coat sleeve or other dark surface. Here was
not only no protection. but wide open defiance
of danger. The only possible explanation which
seems to present itself is that both papa and
mamma cOrmorant being most devoted sitters,
and one or other Of them practically on the nest
almost every moment of the time from laying
to Matching, the eggs are, to all intents and
purposes. under cover and as completely pro
tected from hostile eyes If in burrow. And
there is little danger of their being exposed by
any frightening away Of the old birds, for cor
mOrant pere is about as ferocious and indi-
gestible looking d customer as can well be i'm
agined, with his gaunt twenty-four inches Of
height, glittertng yellow eye and snake-like head
and beak. and as matter of fact he will take
a back seat for nobody except the great sea
eagle.
This last mentioned gentleman is indeed the
sole Lord of the Manor Of Bird Rock the only
enemy whom it's inhabitants have to dread ex-
cept our own species of bipeds without featb-
He is said TO descend occasionally after
Matching is fairly under way and collect his
rents in the shape OF a sumptuous, but one
would think somewhat cod-Iiver-oiIy banquet
on some OF the young birds. They couldn't taste
worse than caviare. however.
The eggs Of the INJURIES are equally puzzling
IN their tints, for though laid out on the naked
rock, with nothing but the sky above them. and
plainly visible from every direction except from
below, they form a perfect spring flower garden
Of tints. Their ground color ranges from pure
white, with various washes Of delicate gray,
through half dozen shades Of baby blue up TO
purest azure, and upon this bright background
is spread elaborate pattern OF splotchss and
splashes, Of all sizes and shapes. thic<est tow
ard the large end of the egg. and ranging from
dusky brown to chocolate red and velvety black
OF hundreds Of eggs examined found no two
alike either in shade Of ground tint or color.
size or number Of splotches- There is certainly
no attempt at protective coloring OF any sort