832 THE ALBA TROSS, 



shorter than the other. They skim over the surface of the 

 ocean with great swiftness, and scoop up small marine insects. 

 The Albatross, whose habitual dwelling is the Austral 

 Ocean, from the Cape of Good Hope as far as New Holland, 

 belongs to the genus Biomedia, and is the most powerful 

 and bulky of the whole family. The extent of their out- 

 spread wings is enormous, yet their flight, except in 

 stormy weather, is by no means lofty : like all the rapacious 

 birds of the ocean, they are most voracious. They devour 

 fish with so much gluttony that often one-half of the body 

 remains outside of the bill until the part which is swal- 

 lowed, being dissolved by digestion, leaves a passage for 

 the rest. They are often gorged to such a degree as to 

 be unable to fly, or escape the boats which pursue them. 

 Although the flesh of the Albatross is hard and rank, yet 

 sailors contrive to render it eatable, when they are in want 

 of fresh provisions, by taking off the skin, and soaking the 

 body in salt for twenty-four hours, then boiling it, and eat- 

 ing it with some strong sauce. 



In spite of the strength and powerful bill of the alba- 

 tross, it is by no means warlike, and will remain on the de- 

 fensive against some of the gull tribe w^iich liarass them, 

 and to escape such attacks they plunge their body into the 

 water. They experience some difficulty in rising to their flight, 

 and then strike the water rapidly with their feet and clap 

 with their wings ; but after this impulsion the wings remain de- 

 veloped, and they do nothing but balance themselves alter- 

 nately from right to left, shaving the surface of the water 

 with rapidity, and plunging in their heads now and then in 

 search of food to a certain depth. 



The divers are great destroyers of fish, and expert in 

 their method of getting supplies, as their name would sug- 

 gest. Indeed, they are said to dive with such celerity that 

 they often evade a shot directed against them, sinking at 

 the very moment the fiash appears. These birds cannot 



