pS WANDERING ALBATROSS. 



•i have not authority to fay that fome of them do not refide about 



the Cape the whole year : but I am acquainted with only two places 



in which they breed ; one is the Falkland iflands, the other the coaft 



of Patagonia *, In the firft, they begin to lay their eggs in OElober, 



the fpring of thofe regions, and continue that function about a 



^Nests and Egg, month. They build their nefts with fedges, in form of a haycock, - 



about three feet high, leaving a hollow in the fummit for the egg ; 



■for they lay but one, which is four inches and a half long, white, 



with fome fmall obfcure fpots at the thicker end. They are con- 



■ftantly watched while on their nefts by multitudes of Hawks, who 



no fooner fee the Albatrofs quit its neft, but they inftantly dart 



down and carry off the egg. This obliges them to lay another, and 



prolong the feafon of incubation. 



The remaining part of the fummer they wander over all parts of 

 the Jntar^ic feas ; and were feen as low as lat. 67. 20. in the mid- 

 dle o( our Jan'aary\ -, and have been feen in feveral fucceffive months 

 to the northward, fhunning the winter of their native hemifphere, and 

 feeking warmth and food in the remote climate of Kamtfchatka. 



Steller takes notice of fome birds which the Ruffians rank under 

 the name of Gloughpichi. He fays they are found in great numbers 

 on the ifles between Jfta and America ; that they were of the Hze be- 

 tween an Eagle and a Goofe, had a yellow crooked bill, and their plu- 

 mage of the color of umber, fpotted with white. He alfo faw numbers 

 feeding on a dead whale. And in croffing the Penchian fea, he obferv- 

 ed feveral flying : fome white, others black J. All thefe I fufpefl: to 

 have been different forts of Albatrosses, which may have wander- 

 ed here ; for the Jntar£ii.c voyagers obferved at left three fpecies 

 in their approaches towards the fouthern pole If. 



* This account is given by a diftinguiflied oiEcer in our navy, who had vifited 

 ifihefe iflands. 



t Cook's Voy. S. Pole, i. 256. % Defer, de la Kamtfchaika, 492, "^Coek's 



:Voy, toiuards the S. Pole, i. 43, 256, 258. 



XLIX. 



