174 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



Bennett says : "It is delightful to watch the glor- 

 iously graceful movements of this splendid bird, 

 which seem to impel it through the air as if by some 

 hidden force — for one can scarcely perceive the 

 slightest motion of the wings after the bird has once 

 gotten under way — and one sees it rise and fall, in 

 such a manner as to lead to the belief that these 

 movements are brought about by some unknown 

 power." 



The albatross, like the petrel, flies both day and 

 night, and seems rarely to need rest. It continu- 

 ally watches the waves for food; everjrthing of an 

 animal nature which is thrown from a ship is hastily 

 gorged down. Carcasses of dead whales, or large 

 fish, are always surrounded by these great scaven- 

 ger-aviators. When a whale is being "flensed" they 

 actually become so bold as to snatch pieces of blub- 

 ber from the sailors' hands, apparently having lost 

 all fear. In addition to the food they receive from 

 ships, they feed upon jelly-fish, cuttle-fish, and vari- 

 ous small aquatic animals. 



In its long journeys over the sea in search of 

 food, the peculiar formation of the wings gives this 

 bird an advantage over all rivals. "The albatross 

 has," says Mr. Lucas, "that type of wing which best 

 fulfils the conditions necessary for an aeroplane, 

 being long and narrow, so that while a full-grown 



