THE ALBATROSS. 365 



amining numerous specimens, in many of which 

 there were slight differences of plumage, but 

 none particularly marking the sex, that I could 

 discover. 



On the 5th of January, 1829, a specimen of 

 the species named Mollymawk by our sailors, 

 the mountain Albatross of the Americans, was 

 captured in latitude 40*^ 6' south, and longitude 

 111° 49' east. This I suspect only to be a young 

 specimen of the large wandering Albatross. The 

 bill was of a pale, dirty yellow ; the head, neck, 

 breast, and abdomen, were of a delicate and beau- 

 tiful snowy whiteness ; the back black, intermixed 

 with brown, changing to snowy whiteness near the 

 tail ; tail featliers above black, underneath white ; 

 vent white ; irides brown ; orbits surrounded by a 

 naked skin of a light bluish colour ; black feathers 

 at the inner angle of the eye ; legs and feet of a 

 flesh colour. The wings, when expanded, mea- 

 sured five feet from point to point. 



"And is that the Albatross? the bird men- 

 tioned of such an extraordinary size ? Well, 

 I thought it a much larger bird ; but having 

 so often heard that travellers' accounts are 

 exaggerated, I ought not to wonder at my 

 disappointment." — These remarks are often 

 made by persons who make a voyage to sea for 



