TIIALASS0<;E1(()N. 



;j79 



Gould remarks in his folio edition of the "Birds of Austrah'a:" " I first observed this 



noble species of Albatros off the south coast of \an Diemen's Land, and during my stay in 

 Ivecherche Bay, at the southern entrance of D'Entrecasteaux's Channel, where I was wind-bound 

 for nearly a fortnight, I had frequent opportunities of observing it. Unlike other Albatroses, I 

 found these most difficult to procure, for, as its name implies, it would seldom approached a ship 

 or boat sufficiently near for a successful shot : I succeeded, however, in shooting several 

 examples while they were flying around the Bay, in which we had taken shelter. It is not 

 usual for Albatroses to approach the land or enter a secluded bay like that of Recherche, and 



I attribute this deviation from the 

 "rdinary habits to the temptation 

 presented to the bird by the vast 

 (]uantities of fat and other remains of 

 Whales floating about, the locality in 

 (]uestion being one of the principal 

 whaling stations on the coast of \'an 

 Diemen's Land; I have no doubt like- 

 wise that they were lireeding on the 

 Mewstone and other isolated rocks in 

 the neighbourhood, as the plumage of 

 some of the specimens I procured 

 indicated that they had lately been 

 engaged in the task of incubation. . . . 

 The stomachs of those 1 obtained in 

 Recherche Bay contained blubber, 

 the remains of large fish and bar- 

 nacles." 



The range of the Shy Albatross 

 extends throughout the seas washing 

 the shores of Tasmania, \'ictoria, 

 South Australia, Bass Strait and the 

 Tasman Sea. I saw it during a voyage 

 from Sydney to Hobart, near the 

 Schouten Islands, on the Tasmanian 

 coast, and subse(juently near the 

 Tamar Heads. It is extremely rare 

 in New South Wales waters, for only 

 on two occasions has it come under 

 my notice. On the 22nd August, 1905, 

 I saw one in Port Jackson, at the 

 entrance to Lavender Bay. It was 

 resting on the water not far from 

 Milson's I'oint, but on the approach of the ferry steamer I was in, Hew towards Darlinc 

 Harbour, then circled round, passing Milson's Point, and settled down again on the water in 

 Farm Cove. 



For an opportunity of giving the accompanying figures of this species, also of those on 

 Plates A. 10 and A. 20, I am indebted to the late Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth, of the Victorian 

 Railway Department, Melbourne, who with Mr. Joseph Gabriel, landed on Albatross Rock, lying 

 about twenty miles off the north-west coast of Tasmania, and were successful in obtaining, in 

 addition to a large series of eggs, some remarkably interesting photographs. 



SHY ALBATROSS ON THK Wl.NG. 



