ALBATROSSES CIRCLING ROUND SHIPS. 3*65 



ible; and if one was shooting at them present hardly 

 any mark to aim at. * The fact may be readily veri- 

 fied, by anyone watching an albatross circling round 

 a ship, even for a few moments, when it will be seen 

 that as they fly low down near the water, directly 

 towards the spectator, the wings are seen only edge- 

 wise, and therefore merely present the appearance of 

 thin lines; while the body consists, apparently, simply 

 of a mere dot seen between these lines; the head and 

 beak, as they point towards him, so completely cover 

 the view of the body, that only this small dot is pre- 

 sented to view, and against a dark wave of blue water 

 at what seems 80 or 100 yards away, the bird is often 

 invisible altogether, in this position. We took special 

 care to note down these facts while at sea, after 

 repeated observation, and were never tired of watching 

 the perfection of grace and ease exhibited in the 

 flight of these beautiful birds. 



The wild freedom and complete independence of 

 the sea-bird as it skims over the water has often 

 excited in our mind feelings both of wonder and of 

 admiration. The tempestuous winds that sweep across 

 the ocean, at times with tremendous force and violence, 

 lashing its surface into angry billows, affect it not. On 

 such occasions it is indeed a wonderful thing when 

 one comes to reflect upon it, to find these apparently 

 frail and delicately formed creatures, whom one rude 

 grasp of the human hand would in most instances 

 suffice to crush, are really less affected by the winds 



* We venture to appeal to all true sportsmen, to endeavour to 

 prevent shooting at these harmless and beautiful creatures. As if 

 wantonly shot at, or otherwise destroyed, in consequence of their slow 

 rate of reproduction the albatross will soon become almost^ or perhaps 

 entirely extinct. 



