170 Notes on Natural History [March, 



posed from the monsters of the deep. I have repeatedly inquired of 

 seafaring men, whether they had seen these birds at night, but none 

 could recollect a single instance. One person mentioned having 

 caught a stormy petrel on a small hook, which had been towing 

 astern all nisrht, and therefore he concluded that the bird was noctur- 

 nal. But this is no proof at all, since he did not know the hour 

 when the bait was taken, and it is therefore more than probable that 

 it occurred at early dawn, when these little skimmers of the sea were 

 as usual on the wing in their restless search for food. 



Quere — As the albatrosses and petrels must be many days at sea, 

 without being near land, whence do they find water to drink, unless 

 it be that of the briny ocean ? or, will their food, supposing it to con- 

 sist of mollusca and medusae, supply them with sufficient moisture ? 



On the 28th October, these birds deserted us, and we saw them no 

 more during the voyage, having followed us from the 14th September 

 in latitude south 25°5' and longitude west 3()°38' down to latitude 

 south 41°3S', and longitude east 33°8', and up again to latitude south 

 3i°54' and longitude east 80°8'. A period of one month and 14 

 days. 



Although we saw the albatross on the 1 9th August, we were not 

 fortunate enough to procure one until the 26th September, in latitude 

 33°38' south, longitude 3°o' west ; thermometer 54°, weather cold. 



This bird was shot by a passenger, and although in all respects 

 agreeing with the generic description, and a true albatross, was by 

 the officers of the ship termed a " mollimawk." 



The plumage beneath is pure white, as also the rump, head and nape ; 

 through the eye is a dark bluish-black stripe ; back and sides of the 

 neck, as also the back and tail feathers, slaty-brown : wings the same 

 but darker. Beak dark cinereous or greyish-black, and the legs and 

 feet yellowish flesh-colour. Length 3 feet, breadth 7 feet. Irides 

 yellow. 



On the 21st October, in latitude 37°14' south, longitude 69°8' east, 

 thermometer 63°, with a dead calm, we saw several albatrosses appar- 

 ently of different species. 



One of these birds came following up the wake of the ship, so 

 closely and with his eyes so intent on the water, that at first I thought 

 he was coming on board, but when he saw me standing on the poop, 

 he turned suddenly across the wake ; at the same time I jerked up 

 the line with which I was fishing for them, and luckily struck him on 

 the wing, which throwing him off his balance, obliged him to settle 

 on the water from whence he might have made his escape with ease, 

 had he not in a fit of rage, and spite at being struck with the line, 



