357 



THE ALBATROSS. 



(^See page 45, vol. i.) 



The Albatrosses are the largest of the oceanic 

 birds, and their generic character (Diomedea) 

 is thus defined : — Bill, very long, stout, edged, 

 compressed ; upper mandible channelled on the 

 sides, and much hooked at the point ; lowei 

 mandible smooth and truncated at the extremity; 

 nostrils lateral, like short rolls and open in front ; 

 feet short, with only three very long toes, en- 

 tirely webbed, but without any spur or toe 

 behind, not even the little nail that is seen 

 in the Petrel tribe ; wings very long and nar- 

 row, with the primary quills short, and the 

 secondaries long. 



The known species are D. exulans, D. spa- 

 dicea, D. chlororynchus, D. fuliginosa ; and 

 Cuvier also enumerates D. brachyura, Temm., 

 D. melanophris, Temm. : for the two last spe- 

 cies I have not had an opportunity of referring 



