NATATORES. 439 



southern coast of Tasmania, where a large company followed 

 our vessel for many days and continued to hover around us until 

 we entered Storm Bay, but on our approaching the land, 

 they suddenly disappeared, betaking themselves again to the 

 open ocean. Of all the species with which I am acquainted, 

 this is the most fearless of man, for it often approaches many 

 yards nearer the vessel than any other ; I have even observed 

 it so near that the tips of its pinions were not more than two 

 arms' length from the taffrail. It is very easily captured with 

 a hook and line, and as this operation gives not the least pain 

 to the bird, the point of the hook merely taking hold in the 

 horny and insensible tip of the bill, I frequently amused 

 myself by capturing specimens in this way, and after detaining 

 them sufficiently long to afford me an opportunity for inves- 

 tigating any particular point respecting which I wished to 

 satisfy myself, setting them at liberty again, after having 

 marked many, in order to ascertain whether the individuals 

 which were flying round the ship at nightfall were the same 

 that were similarly engaged at daylight in the morning after 

 a night's run of 120 miles, and this in many instances 

 proved to be the case. When brought upon deck, from 

 which it cannot take wing, it readily becomes tame, and 

 allows itself to be handled almost immediately ; still, I believe 

 that no member of this group can be domesticated in conse- 

 quence of the difficulty of procuring a supply of its natural 

 food. 



In heavy, black, and lowering weather the snowy white 

 plumage of this bird offers a striking contrast to the murky 

 clouds above and behind it. 



Captain Hutton, in his * Notes on some of the birds fre- 

 quenting the Southern Ocean,' says this species '' dives some- 

 times, but does not appear to like doing so, generally pre- 

 ferring, when anything good to eat is under water, to let a 

 * Night Hawk ' fish it up ; then giving chase and running 

 along the top of the water, croaking and with outstretched 



