924 



N£SrS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



the fact, quotes from Professor Hutton, who states ; " At a ceitaiu 

 time of the year, between Februaiy and Jiuie, Mr. Harris caimot exactly 

 say when, the old birds leave their youug aud go to sea, and do uot 

 retiu'n until the next October, when they ai'rive in large numbers. 

 Each pair goes at once to its old uest; and after a httle fondhng of 

 the youug one, which has remained in or near its nest the whole time, 

 they tiu'u it out aud prepare the nest for the next brood. The deserted 

 ones are iu good condition, and very lively, frequeutly being seen off 

 their nests exercising their wings. When the old birds retmn to take 

 possession of then- nests, the young often remain outside and nibble at 

 the head of the old one until the feathers between the beak and the 

 eye are removed, and the skin made quite sore. The young birds do 

 not go far from land until the following year, when they accompany 

 the old birds to sea. " 



" It is amusing," writes Professor Moseley, " to watch the process of 

 courtship. The male, standing by the female on the nest, raises his 

 wings, spreads his tail, aud elevates it, throws up his head with liis 

 bill in the air, or stretches it out forwards as far as he can, and then 

 utters, a curious cry like the Molly Hawks, but in a much lower key, 

 as would be expected from his larger laiynx. Wlulst uttering the cry 

 the bird sways his neck up and down. The female responds with a 

 similar note, and they briug the tips of their bills lovingly together. 

 This sort of thmg goes on for half-an-hour or so at a time. No doubt 

 the birds consider they axe singing. Occasionally another Albatross 

 flies round and lights upon the grass, but I saw none take wing. " 



The greatest enemy to the Albatross is the Southern Skua 

 (Alegahstrix), a fierce bird, always on the watch for the Albatross quitting 

 its nest, when this feathered pirate instantly pounces down and devours 

 the egg. So well is this poor bird aware of the propensity of its foe, that 

 it snaps the mandibles of its bill violently whenever it observes the Skua 

 flying overhead. 



Sir Walter Buller's D. regia is a very fine variety of D. exulans, 

 while the species frequenting Kerguelen is also regarded as another 

 variation, known as D. chioiioptera. I had the opportunity of examin- 

 ing an exceedingly large and handsome bird, in spotless plumage, from 

 Kerguelen, brought thence by Mr. Hans Gundersen's private expedition. 

 Six selected eggs measured in inches: (1) 5'38 x 3-0, (2) 5-31 x 2'95, 

 (3) 5 12 X 3-12, (4) 5-0 x 3-25, (5) 4-87 x 3-2, (6) 4-75 x 3-25. Average 

 weight 14 ;J ounces. These eggs are long ovals, slightly more compressed 

 at one end ; texture of shell exceedingly coarse and somewhat porous ; 

 sm-face rough and without gloss ; colour, dull white, with a patch on tlie 

 apex of faint rufous-red freckles. 



