86 



Capt. F. W. Hutton on the 



bird to a standstill. It was pointed out in 1889 by Mr. A. 

 C. Baines * that the birds usually rise in a slanting direction 

 against the wind (fig. 9), turn round in a rather large circle, 

 and make a rapid descent (fig. 10) down the wind. They 

 subsequently take a longer or shorter flight in various direc- 

 tions^ almost touching the water. After that comes another 

 ascent in the same manner, followed by another series of 



Fiff. 9. 





Albatross commencing to rise. 



movements. Now, as the velocity of the wind near the 

 surface of the sea is diminished by the friction of the waves, 

 when the bird ascends into the more rapidly moving upper 

 current its vis inertia makes the wind blow past it, and so its 

 stock of energy is increased. AY lien it descends it will be 

 * 'Nature,' vol. xi. p. 0: and Lord Rayleigh, t. c. p. 34. 



