338 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
I had long been anxious to visit their breeding-haunts, but 
had no opportunity of doing this until January, 1888, when I 
was afforded the privilege of accompanying the Government 
steamer ‘ Stella’ on her yearly cruise among the islands to the 
south of New Zealand. After visiting Stewart Island and the 
Snares, the steamer’s course was directed towards the Auckland 
Islands, and on the 25th January we anchored in Carnley 
Harbour. Having ascertained from Captain Fairchild that the 
vessel would not leave until the following evening, I at once 
prepared for an expedition to the hills, on which I was informed 
that Albatrosses were then breeding; and at 4 o'clock in the 
morning the chief officer put me ashore. The first creatures 
I met were several Sea-lions sleeping in the long grass, over 
which I almost fell. They gave discontented growls at being 
disturbed and driven from their lair, sitting up on their haunches 
and gazing at the intruder with their large eyes, showing their 
white canine teeth all the time. Moving onwards I had a 
dreadful scramble through dense low scrub interspersed with 
holes and swampy places, but at last I gained the hills above. 
My exertions caused me to suffer greatly, being far from well 
through overwork on the west coast of the South Island. After 
climbing over hills for about three miles I came to a slope where 
a colony of Albatrosses had established a breeding-place. The 
birds were scattered about among the tussock-grass, sitting on 
their nests, and from their white plumage could be easily 
distinguished from the vegetation at a great distance. I found 
that their nests are always placed on sloping ground, and always 
on the most exposed side of the hill. They are composed of earth 
and grass cemented together, and are built in the form of a cone. 
They are usually about two feet in diameter and about eighteen 
inches high. Outside they are surrounded by a shallow drain, 
intended to carry off the surface-water. Within is placed a 
single egg. This is white, with a few brown spots on the broad 
end, and measures about 5°5 inches in length by 3°1 inches 
broad. In most cases I found the female on the nest, the male 
bird standing close to her, and occasionally feeding her. I 
noticed that sometimes the male relieved the female, but they 
never both leave the nest until the young one is able to defend 
itself against the Skua Gull, Lestris parasiticus. This rapacious 
bird devours every egg or nestling left unprotected. While 
