280 THE xVNIMALS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Genus PJioehetria. 



Sides of the mandible with a deep longitudinal groove. Tail 

 long and pointed. Southern Ocean. 



The Sooty Albatross. — Toroa-pango 

 Flioehetria fuliginosa. 



Sooty brown, darkest on the face. Back and abdomen, grey; lightest 

 on the shoulders. Bill, black. The gi'oove on the mandible, blue. Legs 

 and feet, yellow. Young, entirely sooty brown. Length of the wing^ 

 19.5 inches; of the tarsus, 3 inches. Egg — White or buff, plain or with 

 rufous specks, principally at the larger end; the length about 4 inches. 

 The male is larger than the female. 



This bird breeds at the Antipodes and the Auckland Islands 

 about the end of October. It makes its nest in inaccessible cliffs^ 

 the structure being a conical mound seven or eight inches high, 

 and hollowed into a cup at the top. and the egg is much elongated. 



The unrivalled flight of the alliatross has been the admiration 

 of voyagers from the earliest times. Those who have watched 

 these birds daj^ after day will agree with ]Mr. Gould that the 

 sooty albatross should be awarded the highest honours in this, 

 respect. Nothing can eciual his ease and grace as he sweeps past, 

 often within a few yards, every part of his body perfectly 

 motionless except the head and the eye, which turn slowly and 

 seem to take notice of everything. One of these birds has been 

 watched narrowly, and has been seen sailing and wheeling about 

 in all directions for more than half-an-hour, without making the 

 slightest movement of the wings. Half-an-hour, however, is 

 longer than usual. 



This so-called "sailing" method of flight is characteristic of 

 all the larger petrels. It enables the bird to keep on the wing all 

 day with very little exertion. It is not true sailing, but some 

 word is wanted to distinguish it from the soaring of vultures, 

 pelicans, and other birds. For the flight of the petrels is per- 

 formed near the surface of the sea, and the birds make irregular 

 curves with such sharp turns that their out-stretched wings, 

 when turning, are in an almost perpendicular position. Vultures, 

 when soaring, ascend to a considerable height, and then wheel 



