244 Fergvson, Observations on. Albatrosses at Sea. [,sf April 



bodied, and presumably adult. The different forms or phases 

 in the coloration of the upper surface of the wings fall into five 

 groups — 



(i) Wings all dark up to body, the line of demarcation sometimes 

 straight, more frequently angulate outwardly in the middle. 



(2) Similar to (i), but with a small light-coloured spot farther out 



on the wing. 



(3) This spot joined up to light colour of back, the white thus 



extending in a triangular projection on to the wing. 



(4) The white portion extending much farther out in the mid hne 



of the wing. 



(5) White- winged birds, in which the white colour extended to 



the angle of the wing, the line of demarcation running from 

 the angle down to the lower edge of the wing at the base. 

 In these birds the dark colour appeared to be confined to the 

 primary coverts, the primaries, outer secondaries, and the 

 tips of the inner secondaries. 



]'ermu'iilations. — As noted by Mr. Mathews, these varied inversely 

 with the amount of white on the wings ; in several specimens, 

 seen at close range with a pair of x8 prismatic binoculars, no 

 vermiculations could be detected. 



Tail. — The amount of black on the tip of the tail appeared also 

 to vary inversely with the amount of white on the wings. In many 

 of the white-winged birds only one or two of the tail feathers were 

 dark-tipped, and in several no dark tip could be detected. 



On the voyage from Sydney till near Albany, specimens of D. 

 exulans were observed almost every day, but no specimens were 

 seen on the west coast. On the return trip these birds were 

 observed near Fremantle and all round the southern Australian 

 coast. Most of the specimens seen had the wings more or less 

 dark, but my notes show that birds with white wings, corre- 

 sponding to form 5, were seen in the seas of the Australian Bight. 



On a voyage to New Zealand, some years ago, the forms of 

 Albatrosses seen between Sydney and Auckland were carefully 

 noted. All the forms enumerated above were observed, and, if 

 these are to be all referred to D. e. rothschildi, then that sub- 

 species would appear to pass through the same colour phases as 

 the Indian Ocean birds. 



The birds observed in the South Indian Ocean, in accordance 

 with Mr. Mathews, I refer to D. e. chionoptera. All the above- 

 enumerated forms were seen, but white-winged specimens were 

 more common than on the East Australian coast. Several speci- 

 mens noted had the primary coverts dappled with white, and one 

 bird had, in addition, a white patch on the primaries of one wing. 

 These birds were constantly present during the voyage from 

 Durban to Australia. As a rule, there would be only one or two 

 birds present in the early morning, but the numbers increased 

 steadily during the day, until 40 or 50 birds would be following 

 the vessel at dusk. Many of these Indian Ocean birds showed 



