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THE ANIMALS OF NEW ZEALAND 



The flight of the albatross is truly majestic. With outstretched 

 and motionless wings, he sails over the surface of the sea, now 

 rising high in the air, now, with a bold sweep and wings inclined 

 at a high angle with the horizon, descending until the tip of the 

 lower wing ahnost touches the crest of the waves as he skims over 

 them. Suddenly he sees something floating on the water, 

 and prepares to alight ; but how changed he now is 

 from the noble bird, who, but a moment before, was all grace and 



symmetr3\ He raises his 

 wings, his head goes back, 

 his back goes in ; down 

 drop two enormous webbed 

 feec, straddled out to their 

 full extent, and then with 

 a hoarse croak, between 

 that of a raven and that of 

 a sheep, he falls souse into 

 the water. There he is at 

 home again, breasting the 

 waves like a cork. Pre- 

 sently he stretches out his 

 neck, and with great exer- 

 tion of his wings he runs 

 along the top of the water 

 for seventy or eighty yards,' 

 until at last, having got 

 sufficient impetus, he 

 tucks up his legs, and is 

 once more fairly launched in the air. It is, probably, this neces- 

 sity for running along the top of the water before he is able to 

 ascend from it that has given rise to the fable of the albatross 

 being able to walk on the surface of the water with hardly any 

 assistance from his wings, and to the statement that the noise of 

 his tread may be heard at a great distance. 



The albatross never dives; indeed he never puts his head 

 under water. When caught and placed on deck, he is unable to 

 stand, or to arise unless a strong wind is blowing, and must lie 



Yomig liird settling on tbe water. 



