THE ANIMAL LIFE OF THE GROFP. 3LS 



and presently repeat the performance, the birds reversing the role in the game 

 or not." 



INIany variations oecnr in the order of the dance. Sometimes three oi- more 

 birds will l)ecome involved, Avhich adds lo the Indicrons nature of the per- 

 formance, as it becomes at once evident that the birds are unable to dance the 

 more complicated round dances and attempts to do so almost invariably result 

 in a breakdown before the dance is carried to the squawking stage. By way of 

 variety, one of the birds will sometimes pick up a feather or stick and tender 

 it to its partner, who promptly returns the compliment, when they pass to 

 the next form, and so on. Through varying figures and mananivers these birds 

 will continue their play, often for ten or fifteen minutes without cessation. 

 AVhen the end comes, however, it usually follows the uttering of a prodigious 

 groan, after which the birds retire to a respectful distance from each other 

 and resume their ordinary vocation of preening, sunning themselves or merely 

 looking on Avhile their neighbors amuse themselves in the same form of play. 

 So common is the "dance" among them that dozens of couples may be seen 

 engaged in it at any hour of the day or night. 



While the albatross rears a family of but one, they devote much time to 

 the feeding and care of their offspring. The downy nestling issues from a 

 large, dirty white e^ix (as large as that of a goose) that may be heavily 

 blotched with brownish-maroon, which encircles the egg in a band; or from 

 a brownish-butf egg, without any markings whatsoever. However varied the 

 color of the egg may be, the young birds look so much alike that it is impos- 

 sible to tell how they are recognized by their parents. Fortunately, there 

 seems to be little difficulty, and the old birds seldom molest one another or 

 their neighbors' children. 



The old birds seem to be very active at night and apparently do ;i great 

 part, though not all, of their fishing at that time. Eeturning to Ihe island 

 from a fishing expedition, they proceed at once to feed their vouiil:. 'I'he 

 parent biixl settles down beside the nestling, which without delay begins to 

 pick her beak gently. Presently the parent bird stands up aiul, lowering its 

 head, opens the beak and disgorges a mass of partially-digested squid and oil: 

 but before it is too late the young bird inserts its bill crosswise into that of its 

 parents, and receives the offering with apparent relish. The young bird is in 

 no way modest in its demands, and continues to beg for more until the supply 

 is entirely exhausted, when the old bii-d pecks back savagely, or walks oil' to a 

 safe distance and settles down to rest and sleep. 



The black-footed albatross does not visit Laysan in such lai-ge ininibei-s 

 as do the foregoing species, and as a consequence they live in imn'e i-estricted 

 colonies. In their habits they closely resemble their white-l)reasted cousins. 



In the guano beds for which Laysan Island is t'anious coMnnerciMllN'. the 

 workmen often find the eggs of the albatross and tlu' shearwaters bedded in 

 the rock-like guano deposits in a semi-fossil condition. 



