754 BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS. 



that this individual had frequented the above island, and lived 

 amicably with the Gannets, for some thirty or forty years. On June 

 1 8th 1894, Mr. Harvie-Brown saw an Albatross of the size of this 

 species when about 20 miles off the Orkneys. The true home of 

 the Black-browed Albatross is, however, in the Southern Ocean, 

 where the bird is one of the most abundant members of the genus ; 

 multitudes breeding on the Chatham, Stewart Auckland, Campbell, 

 Antipodes and other Islands within about 400 miles of New Zealand, 

 apparently the head-quarters of the species. The ' Challenger ' 

 Expedition did not find it breeding on Kerguelen, though it occurs 

 there, and throughout the South Atlantic ; while it is abundant on 

 the sea-shore and even in some of the bays of South Africa. It 

 wanders along the coast of South America, and has been recorded 

 from California. 



Mr. W. Dougall (quoted in Sir Walter Buller's ' Birds of New 

 Zealand,' vol. ii., pp. 199-200) gives an interesting account of his 

 visits to some of the colonies on the islands mentioned. On one 

 of the Campbells the Albatrosses were nesting in hundreds, from 

 the region of tussock-fern and ti-tree scrub at 800 feet, up to the 

 top at 1,866 feet where undergrowth had become sparse ; their nests 

 of moss and earth being built up about four inches above the surface 

 of the ground, and the materials taken from the soil, in such a way 

 as to leave a trench all round the pile. The female never leaves 

 her nest during incubation, a period of about 60 days, and is fed 

 by her consort. Normally one egg is laid, though exceptionally two 

 have been found in the same nest ; the colour is creamy-white, with 

 surface spots of yellowish-brown : measurements 4"3 by 2*2 in. 

 This species feeds on medusae and moUusca, with any floating 

 refuse thrown overboard from ships ; and even the remains of a 

 Diving Petrel have been found in its stomach. In flight and general 

 habits it resembles the often-described Wandering Albatross. 



The adult has a short slaty-black band before and behind the 

 eye ; back and wings brownish-black ; interscapular region cinereous, 

 shading into white at the base of the neck ; tail-feathers slate-grey, 

 with white shafts ; head and underparts white ; under wing-coverts 

 white, with a wide greyish-black border along the edges of the 

 wing; bill yellowish horn-colour, tip darker. Length 27-29 in.; 

 wing 17-19 in. The smaller dimensions suit a young bird, such as 

 the Cambridge example ; and in this the superciliary streak is not 

 very marked ; while the outer web of the outside tail-feather on each 

 side is conspicuously whitish. In this specimen the legs and feet 

 were described as "fleshy-blue." 



