The Zoologist— March, 1866. 1 17 



these birds, and really the impression left on llie mind by watching 

 them closely leads to such a belief, so that it requires a strong effort 

 to couvince yourself that it is really a natural phenomenon obeying 

 ordinary physical laws. 



I have repeatedly watched an albatross closely for a quarter of an 

 hour or more, whilst it has been making the most extraordinary turns 

 and curves around the ship's stern, passing througli the air with great 

 rapidity, for I should estimate the ordinary velocity at which these 

 birds fly at from twenty to thirty miles an hour, without once perceiving 

 any motion in the wings, except the occasional adduction or abduction 

 of one or other carpus in turning, I believe the whole is effected by the 

 action of the wind upon their wings. If these birds remained, as tliey 

 do, many days and nights on the wing, by muscular action, it would 

 certainly be one of the most remarkable instances of prolonged mus- 

 cular activity. 



In calm weather the albatross flies very low, often running over the 

 surface with extended wings, like all the smaller petrels; it is during 

 a stiff breeze or gale that they appear " to glory in their wings." When 

 the albatross first rises from the water, it usually does so by a succes- 

 sion of slow strokes, like a sea-gull rising from the sand : this slow 

 motion of the wings causes the bird to rise rapidly through the air, 

 owing to its exceedingly light weight compared to the wide extent of 

 its wings and to its immense mass of feathers. I believe a very slight 

 breeze applied, as it undoubtedly is, at the very best advantage, would 

 be quite sufficient to supply a similar force and to elevate the bird in the 

 air, for an albatross "beats up against the wind" something after the 

 same manner as a ship, only the tacks are vertical instead of hori- 

 zontal, the short backward tack being a steep ascent and the long 

 forward one a gradual descent. In ascending against the wind I have 

 seen an albatross repeatedly rise until its wings were not only placed 

 vertically, instead of horizontally, but even so that the back of the bird 

 has been slightly turned downwards, whilst its breast is inclined up- 

 wards, so that it has regained its ordinary position with some little 

 apparent difficulty. This reminds me of a very extraordinary scene, 

 which I witnessed on the 4th of January, 1863, in latitude 53° S. 

 longitude 135° E. Four short-winged birds were circling above the 

 ship like hawks ; whether these birds belonged to the frigate-birds or 

 not I could never determine, but they descended from time to time to 

 attack the albatross, which they did by flying against their breasts, 

 generally two dashing at once against the great sea-bird, and often 



