At Home Only in Air 333 



mind grows bewildered in the attempt to understand 

 how he can, apparently with such consummate ease, 

 resist the fury of the wind. 



Not that it would be correct to say that the Alba- 

 tross never does flap his wings. When rising from 

 the sea, if the latter is calm, it appears necessary 

 for him to put forth all his undoubtedly great strength 

 in order to effect his purpose. Spreading his wings 

 wide, he commences to run along the sea-surface, 

 the beating of his feet against the water being audible 

 a long way off on a calm day. At the same time the 

 great wings flap heavily as do a pelican's, untiL, by 

 one supreme effort, the body is lifted into the air, 

 and immediately assumes its normally calm pose, 

 that makes it appear as if the bird by the slightest 

 alteration in the plane of his wings and tail were able 

 to make the air bear him whithersoever he wishes to 

 go, even in the teeth of an on-rushing storm. 



But before we go any further, a little description 

 of the bird is necessary, for I have discovered long 

 since that it is not wise to take for granted that readers 

 know the appearance of even the commonest of sea- 

 birds, although almost every good general museum 

 possesses one. The Albatross is about the size of a 

 medium goose, but not so ' stockily ' built, and with 

 a much shorter neck. The beak is pale yellow in 

 colour, from eight to ten inches in length, with nostrils 

 on the upper mandible about two inches from its root. 

 This upper mandible has a formidable-looking hook 

 at the end, which curves down over the point of the 

 lower mandible to a length of one and a half inches 

 and tapers to a very keen point. At the junction 

 of the mandibles with the head they are capable of 

 great expansion, permitting the bird to swallow 

 masses of food, such as blubber, at least four inches 



