108 Observations on the Albatross. [Feb. 



As there are several points in this paper on which the writer seems 

 to he misinformed, and which are rather far-fetched, I have ventured to 

 draw a few strictures on it, and to add an extract from a Journal which 

 I kept during a voyage from England to Calcutta. 



First then, speaking of Albatrosses, the writer says, " They ap- 

 pear to be stupid birds, perhaps from being broken-hearted from the 

 paucity of food, $c. &;c." 



The body of the Albatross, when cleared from the plumage, is cer- 

 tainly very small, and appears out of proportion to the great size of 

 the bird in length and breadth ; but, at the same time, though small in 

 size, the two birds which I dissected were extremely plump and fleshy, 

 bearing no signs of a paucity of food, of which there is an abundance, 

 for who that has rounded the Cape has not seen the shoals of flying fish 

 which ever and anon rise from the water as the ship disturbs them in 

 her course. Fish, Mollusca, and Medusse form the food of the Alba- 

 tross. 



Why then should he break his heart at the thoughts of starva- 

 tion ! ! 



Again, " The great Albatross, with wings extended 8fC. is said to 

 accompany ships for whole days without ever resting on the waves." 



Here 1 would remark, that his not having been seen to settle, is no 

 proof that he did not do so, during these whole days, to say nothing 

 of the intervening nights — inasmuch as, it is very unlikely that he 

 was watched for whole days incessantly by any person, and those who 

 have been to sea, and have paid attention to these birds, must 

 acknowledge that they do not merely " fly round the ship," but extend 

 their flight far away over the boundless deep, and are lost to sight, 

 ever and anon returning to the ship in their restless search for food. 



Besides, the Albatross does not feed on the wing, but as far as my 

 experience carries me, invariably settles on the water before taking 

 his prey ; — therefore it follows that for " whole days" he does not 

 feed. No wonder his heart is broken, and his body emaciated. 

 But surely the writer could never suppose that the almighty and 

 merciful Creator, who has so fully provided for the wants of all his 

 creatures, would neglect to supply the wandering Albatross, and 

 doom it to pine away in misery and a state of half- starvation ! 



Next comes a supposition, that the bird sleeps on the wing, and 

 that the great distance from land at which it is seen at close of day is 

 thought to favour the supposition ; in support of which, a pretty quo- 

 tation from Moore is brought in, to prove, that " castles built in air," 

 are as likely to break the rest of the wandering Albatross, as of man, 

 his lord and master ! 





