8 W. K. Fisher, Habits, of the Laysan Albatross. . ^^^^ 



^ ON THE HABITS OF THE LAYSAN ALBATROSS. 



BY WALTER K. FISHER, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA. 



Flafes II- VII 



The magic name of Laysan ^ will ever bring to my mind the 

 picture of innumerable Albatrosses thickly scattered in reposeful 

 attitudes over a broad stretch of bare phosphate rock, near the 

 southern extremity of the islet. Here in years past the indefati- 

 gable Japanese laborers had scraped a plain quite free of all the 

 marketable phosphate rock, and had left about the borders several 

 piles of the valuable mineral. Since then the gonies have made 

 themselves at home, and have completely preempted the site. 

 From the top of one of these hillocks I spent odd breathing 

 moments, watching the life in this largest rookery of the island, 

 because even the slight advantage of fifteen feet would bring much 

 into view that before was hidden. We were agreed in calling this 

 the rookery, since here in a given space were more birds than 

 elsewhere on the island. And besides a very convenient road led 

 to it from Mr. Schlemmer's quarters. One might ask, "Why 

 mention the road ? " The Bonin Petrels {^strelata hypoleucd) 

 tunnel in the soft soil in countless numbers, and if one crosses 

 the upper slopes of the island he must walk at least one half mile 

 before gaining the solid ground near the lagoon. Nearly every 

 other step through this area will carry him abruptly into the sub- 

 terranean tunnels of these sobbing birds, and as one of our party 

 suggested the novelty quickly wears off in the midday sunshine. 

 So it happened we patronized the road, and our eager strolls often 

 either ended or began nea'r the rookery, where also there was a 

 brackish water pond much frequented by curlews and ducks. 



' Although the notes which form the basis of this paper have already been 

 published in ' Birds of Laysan and the Leeward Islands, Hawaiian Group ' 

 (U. S. Fish Commission Bulletin for 1903, pp. i to 39, plates r to 10), the 

 writer believes an account of the peculiar habits of the Albatross, with illus- 

 trative photographs, will be of interest to readers of ' The Auk.' For a short 

 note descriptive of Laysan and its bird life the reader is referred to the Octo- 

 ber, 1903, issue of this journal, page 384. Unless otherwise stated the plates 

 refer to Diomedea immutabilis Rothschild. 



