LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN PETRELS AND PELICANS. 7 



at one time near the village. During the sunniier, however, the black young 

 birds of the foregoing year are more numerous than the adults, of which a few 

 remain all summer, though without breeding, of course. In the middle of the 

 immense flocks of Lunda, Fratcrcula, and Fulmarns, which in quiet weather 

 rest on the surface of the sea, covering many acres, can always be seen one 

 or two of these comparatively gigantic dark birds, which, however, are the 

 first ones to take the wing at the approach of a boat or a bajdarka. This 

 species is remarkably shyer than D. nigripes. 



Nesting. — According to Cassin (1858), Mr. Titian R. Peale found 

 the short-tailed albatross breeding on Wake Island in the Central 

 Pacific Ocean, about half-way between the Hawaiian Islands and the 

 Philippines. He says: 



On the 20th of December, we found this bird breeding at Wake's Island. 

 The single egg of each pair was laid on the ground, in a slight concavity, w^ith- 

 out any lining material; both sexes take turns in the labor of Incubation, and 

 neither the male nor the female abandoned the nest on our approach, but 

 walked around us in a very dignified manner, and made but few demonstrations 

 of defense with their bills when taken up in our arms. The egg is white, of an 

 oblong figure, with the ends nearly alike, and measures four and two-tenths 

 inches long, and two and six-tenths inches in diameter. 



Eggs. — Seebohm (1890) refers to five eggs, in the Pryer collection, 

 taken by Mr. Hoist in the Bonin Islands which vary in length from 

 4.7 to 4.3, in breadth from 3.0 to 2.9. Twelve eggs, from the same 

 source, in the British Museum are described by Godman (1907) as 

 " dull white, and marked on the larger end with a profusion of red 

 spots and blotches, many of which are confluent and form a distinct 

 cap. Isolated spots and markings of various sizes are scattered 

 over the shell." Mr. A. J. Campbell (1901) describes the eggs as 

 follows : 



Lengthened oval or elliptically inclined in shape ; texture of shell coarse and 

 strong; surface rough, with just a perceptible trace of gloss; colour, dirty or 

 yellowish-white, more or less ingrained or stained with earth, and with a 

 rusty -colored or rufous-brown cap of freckled or blotchy markings on the 

 larger end. In addition, some examples have, here and there over the rest 

 of the shell, dull purplish-brown spots. 



The measurements of 43 eggs, in A^arious collections, average 116.1 

 by 74.2 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 125 

 by 77, 120 by 79, and 92 by 64 millimeters. 



Plutnages. — I can not find any descriptions of the downy young 

 and doubt if they have ever been collected. The sequence of plum- 

 ages to maturity seems to require at least three and possibly four 

 years. Cassin (1858) quotes Peale as giving the following account 

 of these changes: 



The changes are regularly progressive. Until the second year the plumage 

 remains a dark sooty-brown color; the bird has black feet and a dirty flesh- 

 colored bill (which becomes black when the skin is dried). In this state they 

 pair and raise young. After this stage cloudy white spots appear about the 



