PROCELLAKIID.E. 13 



Fig, 6 represents the Black-browed Albatross [Diomedea mdaiiophrys), our dear old 

 friend the common Molly-hawk, Molly-mauk, or Molly. This is by far the commonest and 

 most sociable of all the family, and except for the fact that you may be seeing the very 

 same birds day after day, as they all appear so exactly alike, one might think the Southern 

 Hemisphere produced these birds in extraordinary numbers. The specimens met with at 

 sea are nearly always almost identical both in size and colouring, thereby greatly differing 

 from the Great Wandering Albatross with its extraordinary variations. It is very rarely 

 seen without the well-defined black band across the back and wings (which is pointed 

 out as a distinguishing mark of the Molly to passengers on board ship) ; the snowy- 

 white head, breast, and body ; the bright yellow beak ; and, lastly, the dark-coloured 

 eyebrows, from which it derives its name. There is no visible difference in the sexes, 

 but those who have seen them on their breeding-stations say the younger the bird the 

 browner the bill. It is the most easily caught of all the Albatrosses, as it comes down 

 quicker and takes a bait less leisurely than the others of the Diomedea. The largest 

 specimen I ever caught was in lat. 38° 69' S., long. 143° 83' E., which measured eight 

 feet and an inch across the wings. In 1885 a fine specimen was obtained for the 

 Zoological Gardens, concerning which I addressed the following letter to the Editor of 

 ' The Times,' which appeared on December 5tli, 1886 : — 



AN ALBATROSS IN THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



Sir, — A few months ago you permitted me to write in ' The Times' about a giant Petrel, misnamed 

 by some an Albatross, that was deposited for a short time in the Zoological Gardens by Mr. Jamrach. 

 Thanks to Mr. Ayshford Sandford, there is now in the Eastern Aviary, facing the cage of the pretender, 

 a magnificent Black-eyebrowed Albatross {Diomedea melanophrys). 



This is, I think, the only Albatross that has ever reached our shores alive ; but, now that the 

 feat has been so successfully accomplished, there seems no reason why we should not also one day 

 possess a specimen of the Great Wandering Albatross {Diomedea ea:iduits), the largest by far of all 

 the Petrel tribe, and one of the grandest birds in the world. 



Those that 'go down to the sea in ships' will recognise in this new arrival the sociable and 

 popular Mollyhauk, Mollymauk, or Molly, so easily distinguished by the broad black band across 

 its back. 



In a large open grass aviary, with a fine stream to swim in, a huge grass mound to roost on, 

 unlimited fresh fish to eat, and a young Ganuet to bully and chum with, this bird is doing well. 



I remain your obedient servant, 

 Blackwall Yard. JOS. F. GREEN. 



In the Society of Acclimatisation at Sydney they have or had both D. exidans and 

 jD. melanophrys in captivity ; but that is, of course, a very different undertaking, as the 

 birds are close at hand. 



