428 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



appears to be equally numerous in all parts of the ocean 

 bounded by those degrees, and I feel assured that it is 

 confined to no one part. The open sea is, in fact, its natural 

 home, and this it never leaves except for the purpose of 

 breeding, when it usually resorts to rocky islands the most 

 difficult of access. To mention particular times and places 

 where I observed this bird would be superfluous, as it was 

 almost daily seen while sailing within the prescribed latitudes ; 

 it will not, however, be out of place to mention that I first 

 hailed its presence on the 24th of July 1838, in lat. 30° 38' 

 south, long. 20° 43' west, and from that day until my arrival 

 at Storm Bay, Tasmania, it was constantly around the ship, 

 but was more abundant off the Cape of Good Hope and the 

 island of St. Paul's than elsewhere. 



The powers of flight of the Wandering Albatros are much 

 greater than those of any other bird that has come under my 

 observation. Although during calm or moderate weather it 

 sometimes rests on the surface of the water, it is almost 

 constantly on the wing, and is equally at ease while passing 

 over the glassy surface during the stillest calm, or flying with 

 meteor-like swiftness before the most furious gale; and the 

 manner in which it just tops the raging billows and sweeps 

 between the gulfy waves has a hundred times called forth my 

 wonder and admiration. Although a vessel running before 

 the wind frequently sails more than 200 miles in the twenty- 

 four horn's, and that for days together, still the Albatros has 

 not the slightest difficulty in keeping up with the ship, but 

 also performs circles of many miles in extent, returning again 

 to hunt up the wake of the vessel for any substances thrown 

 overboard. 



" It is pleasing," says Mr. Bennett, in his ' Wanderings,' 

 " to observe this superb bud sailing in the air in graceful and 

 elegant movements, seemingly excited by some invisible power, 

 for there is scarcely any movement of the wings seen after the 

 first and frequent impulses are given, when the creature 



