Chap, vi).] 



NESTS OF ALBATROSS. 



149 



progression excessively wearying. Further, the sun coming out 

 bright and hot every now and then, made us, who had gone on 

 shore thickly clad, perspire very freely. 



The albatrosses were all around, raised from the ground. 

 Their nests are in the style of those of the Mollymauks, but 

 much larger, a foot and a half at least in diameter at the top. 

 They are made up of tufts of grass and moss, with plenty of 

 adhering earth beaten and packed together, and are not so 

 straight in the sides as those of the Mollymauks, but more 

 conical, with l)road bases. 



GREAT ALBATROSS ON ITS NEST, MARION ISLAND. 



(From a photograph.) 



The female albatross is sprinkled with grey on the back, 

 and is thus darker than the male, which is of a splendid snow- 

 white with the least possible grey speckling, and was now 

 seen in his full glory and best breeding plumage ; the tails 

 and the wings of both birds are dark. The albatrosses one 

 meets with at sea are most frequently birds in young plumage 

 or bad condition, and have a rather dirty draggled look. 



The brooding birds are very striking objects, sitting raised 

 up on the nest, commonly with the male bird beside them. 

 They sit fast on the nest when approached, but snap their bills 

 savagely together, making thus a loudish noise. They will bite 

 hold of a stick when it is pushed up against their bills. They 



