p22 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



called a romantic story. I regarded it an act of Providence, which 

 was imheeded ahke by the nation who owned the ill-fated vessel and 

 the nation to whose shores the bird winged its Ihght. The islands were 

 within a week's steaming of the Cape of Good Hope ; yet, after much 

 apathy and an imwarranted delay of over half a year, a.Freuch transport 

 visited the Crozet Islands but— too late. The date on the tin collar 

 was 13th September, 1887; the bird was picked up three weeks latei-. 



The chief homes of the Wandering Albatross are desolate islands 

 of the south seas, which at certain seasons are swept by the bleakness 

 and coldness of recuiiing Antarctic meteorological disturbances. The 

 nearest breeding places to Australia are Chatham Islands, Auckland, 

 Campbell and Antipodes. On the Auckland Islands the Albatrosses 

 are said to breed on Southern Island — -A.dam's — which is ranged length- 

 wise with hills at an altitude of about 2,000 feet. At intci-vals for about 

 seven miles, and about 1,500 feet above sea^level, are the rookeries of 

 Albatrosses, mostly on the eastern aspect of the hills, on the lee side. 

 There is a particularly lai'ge rookery at tlie back of Fly Harbom-. Tue 

 base of the hills is lined with ironwood (so-called), with thick and dark- 

 green foliage. Higlier up is found rank tussock grass, swamps at 

 intervals, abundance of moss, in some places covering treacherous 

 bogs. There is a lake near the siunmit of the hills, also a striking water- 

 fall, that tumbles on to the beach near the South Cape. 



The following account is a description by a person who paid a visit 

 to the Albatross home on the above-mentioned island : — " One day when 

 I was at the Auckland Islands, a gi'oup situated in latitude 51 deg. 

 south and longitude 166 deg. east, I had an unexpected opportunity of 

 secm'ing to myself that great privilege of a visit to their private home 

 circle. A large party of us landed at Port Ross, and starting under the 

 guidance of an aged chief named MaUouri, arrived in due time at a 

 secluded and densely-wooded valley, which opened to the sandy shore 

 of a deep bay. We had this to cross. Facing us was a lofty hill, 

 clothed to the top with shrubs and trees of a stunted growth. By the 

 aid of roots and branches we continued to scramble up, and at last 

 emerged from an abyss of shrubs we had been traversing, and stood 

 breathless upon a piece of tableland that jutted into the sea. Not a 

 tree or a sluiib was to be seen, the only vegetation being a stiuited sort 

 of tussock grass. But we were at Bird Village, and to our gi'eat delight 

 found the inhabitants at home. We had airived dm-ing the season of 

 incubation. Each nest was occupied by the hen bird, and close by stood 

 her mate — a loving guai'dian. Nothing could induce her to leave the 

 nest. She would look at us imploringly if we came near, and express 

 her objection to our visit by a harsh snapping of the beak, but she still 

 sat on her egg. The mate at the same time made a slight show of 

 resistance, and then, with uncouth gait and a spasmodic acUon of the 

 wings, waddled away to the clifi'. 



" The nests were quite simple in their construction. Each of them 

 was made by pressing down a dump of grass into the fonn of a shallow 

 bowl, in depth and circumference not much larger tlian a soup-plate. 

 I take it for gi'auted that the female lavs only one (>gg. Indeed, the 

 little nest, which the breast of the bird covers and overlaps, could hold 



