354 



TIIK TrHE-X<».SKI) SWIMMFiRS — TriUXAHKS. 



I'iU'itic Ocpaii, and tho only ono roninion (ui Mm- ralifornian coast, all others Immhj,' 

 mere 8traj,'glt'is, or found ho far from land a.s to Uf rartdy Hct-n, ami hardly iMdon^'- 

 in^ to our fauna, lie nuMitions tintliuK youn^' s|HMMni<>ns of this Albatross as far 

 south as Sail Niridas Island, hit. 'Xi' S., on thf Isl of tluly, hut was assured that 

 none breed on any of the more southern islands; and it is very unlikely that they do 

 this on any of those within our limits. These birds had apparently followed some 

 vessel from the far north. They were e.xtivuiely familiar, alighting within a few- 

 yards of his eraft, and evidently expei-fiiM' to !«• fi'd, as tlu-y followetl tlie vessel for 

 some distance, and caugiit at the pieces of meat thrown to tlieni. The}- are (dteii 

 taken with a linok when followiis', . -s.sels along the coast, especially when young. 

 He saw it oil Monterey in April ; l»ut whether it h-aves the coast entirely iH'tween 

 that montli and .Fiily he cannot state with certainty, but presumes that the few 

 birds noticed at tliat time are immature or unmated. Of the old Itirds in the white 

 plumage h(> met with Init a single specimen, and that was found dead on the beach 

 at San Diego. This species very rarely shows itself within sight of land. 



Dr. Cooper also mentions that at San Diego he saw none of these birds until about 

 December 1"), when the whale-tishcry commenceil. They usually kept outside of the 

 bay ; but in stormy weather came a sliort distance in, sailing rapidly about over the 

 surface, in an obliipie position, in search of .scraps, and if they found a (piantity near 

 togetlier, settling down and swimming alMtut after them. At such tim(>s he found no 

 dithculty in ai)proaching tlie birds in a skitT, and one morning he shot two on the 

 water very near together. Though killed instantly, they disgorged the oily contents 

 of their stomachs, as tiiey do wlieii taken alive. He has seen .seven or eight together 

 near the mouth (d' the liay, all in the .sooty idumage. One of the three obtained was 

 a female, and did not diller in size from the hirgest male. Wlu'ii cauglit with a hook, 

 as it follows a vessel, and taken on lx)ard, this bird is unable to rise from the deck, 

 as it re(piires a long range of surface on which to flajt its wings. 



^Ir. H. W. Elliott states that the Short-tailed Albatross was often seen about the 

 I'rybilof Islands some twenty or thirty years ago, when whaling vessels were reaping 

 their rich hai vests in the IJchring and Arctic sea.s, thus affording the birds an oppor- 

 tunity to feed upon any refuse of the wliales which might drift on shore. With tlic 

 decrease of the fishery, the Albatross has almost entirely disajipeared ; and only a 

 single individual was seen by Mr. Elliott during his two years' residence in that 

 locality. This bird is common around Unalashka Island, where he saw a large number 

 on his way to San Francisco, in August, IHT'.i. 



^Ir. Dall speaks of this species as being very abundant off shore throughout the 

 Aleutian Islands, where it takes the jdace of />. tihjn'jics, which seldom ventures 

 north of lat. oO° N. It jirobably breeds in the islands, as he saw the remains of :i 

 young bird at Atka. Its bones were abundant in the ancient Aleutian shell-heaps. 

 It is much larger than />. nigripen, and is apparently a resident in the Aleutian 

 Islands from Atka eastward. 



An egg of this species (Smith.sonian Institution, No. 949 — taken by Mr. Titian 

 II. Peale in the I'aeiHo islands) is of an oval shaiK», Avith rounded ends, and of a 

 dull white color, measuring 4.()0 inches in length by 2.C0 in breiulth. 



