218 Transactions.—Zoology. 
bill bluish horn-colour, lighter and tinged with yellow along the culmen, 
and also on the under surface of the lower mandible ; the sides of the unguis 
or hooked extremity, as well as the terminal expansion of the lower 
mandible, dull black ; the upper mandible margined at the base with a 
narrow black band which broadens on the ridge and extends along the 
groove on each side to the nostrils; base of lower mandible fringed on 
each side with a membrane of a bright yellow colour, bordered behind 
with black, and forming a very distinguishing feature in this species. 
Total length 2 feet 11 inches; extent of wings 7 feet 7 inches; from 
carpal flexure to the tip 22:5 inches; tail 9 ; bill, following the curvature of 
upper mandible, 5:3 ; length of lower mandible 5; tarsus 8:25 ; middle toe 
and claw 5-7. 
The species was first described by Mr. Gould in the “Proceedings of 
the Zoological Society” (Part VIIL, p. 177), and named by him the shy 
albatros, in allusion to its eautious habits when on the wing. In his 
** Birds of Australia” he gives the following account of it :— 
** [ first saw this species of albatros off the south coast of Tasmania, and 
had frequent opportunities of observing it during my stay in Recherche 
Bay, at the southern entrance of D'Entrecasteaux Channel, where I was 
wind-bound for nearly a fortnight. Unlike other albatroses it was most diffi- 
cult to procure, for it seldom approached our ship sufficiently near for a 
successful shot. I succeeded, however, in shooting several examples while 
they were flying round the bay in which we had taken shelter. It is not usual 
for albatroses to approach the land or enter a secluded bay like that of 
Recherche, and I attribute this deviation from the ordinary habits to the 
temptation presented by the vast quantities of fat and other remains of 
whales floating about, the locality being one of the principal whaling-stations 
on the coast of Tasmania. I have no doubt likewise that it was breeding 
on the Mewstone and other isolated rocks in the neighbourhood, as the 
plumage of some of the specimens I procured indicated that they had 
lately been engaged in the task of incubation. 
“ It is a large and powerful bird, the male being scarcely a third less in 
size than the D. erulans; is rapid and vigorous on the wing, and takes 
immense sweeps over the surface of the ocean. It will be interesting to 
learn the extent of the range of this species. A head in the possession of 
Sir William Jardine was said to have been procured at the Cape of Good 
Hope, but I believe this was by no means certain, When fully adult the 
sexes differ but little in colour; the female may, however, at all times be 
distinguished by her — size, and the young by the bill being 
clouded with dark grey. Besides being larger than the three succeeding 
species (namely, D, eulminata, D. chlororhyncha, and D. melanophrys, to 
