30 BULLETIN 121, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



slightest visible alular movement. The manner in which the bird steers itself 

 through the air, first ascending far above the masthead, then sweeping down- 

 wards, with the point of the wing at its lowest inclination just skimming but 

 never actually touching the water, even in a turbulent and broken sea, is really 

 wonderful, and would seem to indicate very perfect organs of vision as a means 

 of measuring distance. Now and then it alters its mode of flight and sails or 

 glides over the surface of the sea with its wings formed into a bow shape, and 

 with an occasional flap to give it fresh impetus. 



Like the albatross, it descends into the water in a very ungainly, straddling 

 way, and, if in a hurry, with an awkward splash ; keeps its wings uplifted till 

 the body is steady, then deliberately folds them up and settles down to dinner or 

 floats lazily on the surface, with upstretched neck and eyes ever on the alert. 

 When garbage or food of any kind is thrown overboard, they all descend 

 together and congregate around it, uttering low guttural notes as if disputing 

 for its possession; but they never seem to quarrel or fight over it, and when 

 disposed of they generally break up into pairs and float about in friendly com- 

 pany till, actuated by some common impulse, they mount again in the air and 

 come sweeping up astern. On the wing the tail is usually spread and has a 

 broad cuneiform appearance. 



It is capable, too, of very rapid movements. On one occasion I was 

 attentively watching six or seven of them, sailing about in circuits that ever 

 crossed but never clashed, and had turned to my notebook for a few seconds 

 to refer to something. On looking up again they had all disappeared as if 

 by magic; and then I descried them in tlie water more than a mile astern, 

 with their heads together, discussing some object that had been thrown over- 

 board and had excited their notice. They are untiring, too, in their pursuit, 

 for I have noticed that at sundown, Avhen the albatrosses have drawn off frojn 

 the steamer and disappeared one by one, the giant petrel (or " stink-pot," as 

 the sailors sometimes call it) had remained, still crossing and recrossing the 

 wake of the ship in undiminished numbers and unaffected by the deepening 

 gloom. 



As might be expected of such big, strong, ravenous birds, the 

 giant fulmars are arrant bullies and are justly dreaded by the 

 other sea birds among which they live. They undoubtedly work 

 great havoC among th^ young penguins and other sea birds which 

 nest on or near their breeding grounds. Clarke (1906) writes: 



The heavy toll ruthlessly demanded from the penguins was very manifest 

 on visiting their rookeries. Here abundant remains of recently killed young 

 penguins in the shape of clean-picked skins and bones were lying all around, 

 while the gorged feathered giants were either waddling about or sleeping off 

 the effects of their orgies on the neighboring snow-slopes. 



Again he (1905) says: 



The giant petrel breeds at Gough Island, where Mr. Comer says that it is 

 not numerous, and commences to lay at the middle of September. He tells 

 us that it enters the penguin " rookeries " and carries off the young to eat and 

 also pulls birds (petrels) out of holes in the ground. 



Buller (1888) "observed at a distance one of these giant petrels 

 pursue and capture a small bird (apparently Prion turtur), and 

 then, holding it by the wing, batter it against the water till it was 

 killed." Darwin (1889) says that: 



