472 



BIBD LIFE OF SOUTH GEORGIA 



Tills vuuiis waiidriiiig alliaUo>s is li-aliiiug to \\\ . Among tin- .-liialkT petrels the lliglit aijiiU.\ is 

 thoroughly coordinated with their general development; they have no "practice," but burst from their 

 burrowed nests when the proper time arrives, and fly away as though they had always flown. But the 

 heavy albatross fledgling must learn its art. Standing on a hillside, it spreads its great, weak wings, 

 which even at this early age have an expanse of ten feet; then it leaps into the air. and. poising for a 

 few seconds on the wind, glides downhill, perhaps to tumble head over heels when it alights 



A male sooty alljatross ( Plicvbitria /itdptbrata a nt a irt tea ) guarding its downy nestling. This dark- 

 colored albatross is the finest flyer of all, reaching the very pinnacle of perfection in aerial grace. Unlike 

 the other albatrosses, it nests only on the perilous ledges of mountain headlands that rise abruptly from 

 the sea, and while one parent broods over the chick, the other may often be seen sailing with inspiring, 

 effortless motion, back and forth in front of the cliff, always passing close to the nest and gazing with a 

 wliite-ringed eye at its quiet mate. Bay of Isles, January 30, 1913 



