A BIRDLOVER'S YEAR 



weight is only about seventeen pounds, 

 whilst the span of its wings varies from ten 

 to twelve feet. It is a strictly oceanic bird 

 in its habits, and rarely visits the land save 

 for breeding purposes. The powers of flight 

 of this bird are quite marvellous. That 

 well-known ornithologist, the late Mr. Gould, 

 observed that " although during calm or 

 moderate weather this splendid bird some- 

 times rests on the surface of the water, it 

 is almost constantly on the wing and is 

 equally at ease while passing over the glassy 

 surface during the stillest calm or flying 

 with meteor-like swiftness before the most 

 furious gale ; and the manner in which it 

 just tops the raging billows and sweeps 

 between the gulfy waves has a hundred 

 times called forth my wonder and admiration. 

 Although a vessel running before the wind 

 frequently sails more than two hundred 

 miles in the twenty-four hours, and that 

 for days together, the albatross has not the 

 slightest difficulty in keeping up with the 

 ship, but also performs circles of many 

 miles in extent, returning to hunt up the 

 wake of the vessel for any substances thrown 

 overboard." Professor Mosely; states that 



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