Vol.XXn -^ jr pisjjER^ Habits of the Laysan Albatross. (^ 



The Laysan Albatross {Diotnedea im?nutabtlis) , however, is dis- 

 tributed all over the island with the single exception of the sea 

 beaches, which on all sides saving the west are colonized by the 

 Black-footed Albatross (Z>. nigripes). The former species far 

 outnumbers nigripes., and if actually not the most numerous 

 inhabitant of the island is at any rate the most conspicuous and 

 interesting. The Laysan Gony, or ' Gooney ' as sailors pronounce 

 it, very evidently prefers the open to the bushy area, for the flat 

 plain surrounding the lagoon is its favorite habitat, and we found 

 the young here in far the greatest numbers. This great colony 

 extended all the way around the lagoon, but certain portions were 

 more congested than others, as 'the rookery ' for example, spoken 

 of above. Young i77imutabilis were also found sprinkled rather 

 thickly over the remainder of the island through the bushy grass 

 area, preempted by petrels, and they even affected the windy 

 slopes above the beaches. Only a very few nigripes, however, 

 were detected in the central portion of the island, and these of 

 course were widely scattered among imtmitabilis. 



The rookeries present a very lively scene. At certain times of 

 day the greater number of the adults are off to sea fishing, but 

 there are always enough left at home to constitute about one third 

 of the total number, the remainder being the young. If these are 

 not disporting themselves in ridiculous attitudes, the old birds 

 form a sufficient diversion with their endless dance and song. In 

 Plate III, figure i, a view is given looking over the rookery. 

 Most of the birds here are young, the old ones being away at sea. 

 Figure 2 is a characteristic scene on the shore of the lagoon, the 

 picture having been taken in the afternoon when most of the old 

 birds had returned from their morning's fishing. The dark area 

 to the left is covered with beautiful purplish-pink flowered Sesuvium 

 portulacastriim . 



At the time of our visit the young were nearly four months old, 

 and were quite as heavy as the adults, although the permanent 

 feathering was present only on the lower parts. They were every- 

 where. My impression every time I crossed the petrel cities was 

 that each great tussock of grass harbored a young Gony in its 

 shadow, ready to dart forward and try the quality of my trousers. 

 Mr. R. H. Beck has suggested segments of stove pipe as an 

 effective armor in crowded bird colonies, especially as proof 



