324 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



the vane of St. Martin's steeple, Ludgate Hill, London; and 

 was shot in the presence of a large number of people. It 

 is a voracious bird and shows great dexterity in the catching 

 and swallowing of fish, turning them round so as to swallow them 

 head foremost, in order to avoid the resistance of the fins and 

 spines. Colonel Montague had one, caught in a tributary of 

 the Bristol Channel, by a Newfoundland dog, which at first 

 refused food but offered no resistance to being crammed. 

 " The Colonel having retired to the library after seeing the 

 bird fed," says Captain Brown, " was surprised in a few 

 minutes to see it walk boldly into the room, unceremoniously 

 place itself by him at the side of the fire, and begin to dress 

 its feathers. This practice it continued till removed to an 

 aquatic menagerie. Whenever it saw the water it became 

 restless, and on being set at liberty, plunged into it, and 

 incessantly dived for a considerable time in search of fish. 

 After this, it seemed to be convinced that there were none 

 to be found there, as it was not noticed to dive again for 

 three days." 



The Albatross. The great Albatross is a large and powerful 

 bird, measuring three feet in length and having a stretch of 

 wing of from nine to twelve or fourteen feet. It is a heavy 

 bird, and needs great strength to sustain its weight during 

 its long and rapid flights. Mrs. Bowdich says, " One was 

 known to follow a ship, which made two hundred miles a 

 day, for forty-eight hours; and besides these miles, from its 

 irregular flight, it must have passed over a much longer 

 distance. The Albatross darts with unerring aim and great 

 force on its prey, as it swims on the top of the waves. A man 

 who fell overboard near the island of St. Paul's was killed 

 'by these birds; for, although the boat was lowered immediately, 

 nothing was found of him except his hat, pierced through 

 and through by the beaks of three albatrosses, who had 

 marked him, pecked him on the head, and caused him to 

 sink." Their flight is easy and apparently performed without 



