422 THEIE NESTING-PLACES. [CHAP. xii. 



"It seems that these birds are almost always taken by 

 hook and line, as was the case with the one you saw 

 (stuffed). The hook is baited with pork, and the 



feathered monsters are quickly attracted by it. 



told me, to my surprise, that the hook itself is never 

 swallowed, but that it catches in the curve of the beak, 

 and the bird is drawn up by that means. But he after- 

 wards explained it by saying that, after taking the bait, 

 they keep their wings extended at length, of course 

 pulling backwards at the same time, which would give 

 a fair hold to the hook. He had never known a case of 

 their being kept on deck and fed, but said they had 

 frequently had ten or eleven caught and on deck at the 

 same time, so that they must take the bait as voraciously 

 as sharks, and probably without so much cunning. 

 When once on deck they are totally unable to rise in 

 the air, not being able to gather sufficient wind beneath 

 their gigantic pinions for that purpose. If the Alba- 

 tross once contrives to rise from the water after taking 

 the bait, which sometimes but not often happens, the 



game is lost at once. The specimen you saw at 



was a young bird in immature plumage, that of the 

 adult being white or very nearly so. I am sorry I could 

 not obtain a more complete account for you, and also 

 something of their habits and breeding-places; are 

 not the Falkland Islands their chief haunts for this 

 purpose ? " H . H. 



That the Falkland Islands are thus used as Albatross 

 nurseries, will appear from the following curious de- 

 scription of the nesting arrangements there : 



" The Geese, Penguins, Albatross, &c., who have colo- 

 nized this place (the Falkland Islands), have very con- 

 siderately for any ship's crew, and perhaps for them- 

 selves too, built their nests in streets of about two or 



