Angling for Cape Pigeons. 189 



and when the ship is moving slowly, can they be caught with a 



line. To angle for birds may appear rather odd to the reader, 



and yet it is common enough in the Southern Ocean, amusing 



the sailor, and providing the zoologist with means of obtaining 



these birds alive. For this purpose, however, circumstances 



must be comparatively favourable ; that is to say, the weather 



must be rough, the sea agitated, and the ship making but little 



headway. When the sky is serene, and the sea calm, even 



the Cape pigeons do not think it worth their while to throw 



a glance at the bait ; and if the ship is moving fast, they 



have not speed enough to catch it, because they only swim, 



and the ship outspeeds them. The line, moreover, must be of 



tolerable length, so as, in the event of any bird evincing a 



desire to snap, to allow as much to be paid out as is necessary 



to leave the bait precisely in the same spot, without towing 



it through the water. It sometimes also occurs, particularly 



after sunset, that these birds, continually following in the 



wake of the ship, do not see the line, strike against it, and 



entangle themselves so that they may be easily drawn on 



board. The scream of the storm-pigeon when caught, makes 



it betray its fate even before those on board have an idea 



that it has been captured. 



For the albatross, it is of course necessary to use a stronger 

 hook, which it is best to attach to a copper wire, because this 

 being thinner than line, is not so readily perceived. In order 

 that the whole apparatus may swim on the surface of the 

 water, a few cork floats are also made fast. 



