THE ROYAL ALBATROSS. 111 
Between New Zealand and Cape Horn we saw neither, but in the South Atlantic 
we saw one of these larger forms quite close to the Falkland Islands, and another 
large and exceedingly white individual a little farther north. D. regia is a bird 
of the New Zealand seas, and has been taken in the Auckland Islands and New 
Zealand. D. chionoptera, on the other hand, frequents the Southern Indian Ocean, 
and has been taken on the Marion and Kerguelen Islands, as well as in the South 
Atlantic. Neither of these enormous birds was fond of approaching our ship at all 
closely. We had no chance of catching them as we caught D. exulans, melanophrys, and 
Th. culminatus. They sailed in wide sweeps, almost always at a distance from the ship. 
Though the adults are so much alike, the downy nestlings of D. regia are said to 
be white, while those of D. chionoptera are brown, and in this respect the two species 
afford a somewhat parallel case to that of the two largest penguins, Aptenodytes forstert 
and patagonica, which in the adult stage are far more closely alike than they are in 
the natal down. In the latter they are even more markedly different in colour than 
are the young of D. regia and chionoptera. 
DIOMEDEA MELANOPHRYS. 
The Black-browed Albatross. 
Diomedea melanophrys, Boie in Temm., and Lang. d. Chartr., Pl. Col. v., pl. 456 (1828) ; Sharpe, Rep’ 
‘Southern Cross’ Coll. (1902), p. 161, ibigue citata. 
MATERIAL IN THE ‘ DISCOVERY’S’ COLLECTION. 
No. 1, ad. sk., ¢, Dec. 29, 1901. With orange tip to the beak. 56° 54'S. 170° 27' E. 
No. 2, ad. sk., g, Dec. 27,1901. With orange tip to the beak. 54° 01'S. 170° 47’ E. 
No. 3, ad. sk., 9, Dec. 29,1901. With dusky blackish tip to the beak. 56° 54'S. 170° 27' E. 
No. 4, ad. sk., 9, Dec. 29,1901. With orange tip to the beak. 56° 54'S. 170° 27’ E. 
No. 5, ad. sk., g, March 10, 1904. With orange tip to the beak. 58° 8. 176° E. 
The colouring of the soft parts is as follows :— 
Bill, very variable, apparently with age, from a uniform dusky brownish hue in the younger 
birds to a uniform orange yellow in old adults. The tip always a deeper tone of the 
same colour as the bill. The most usual adult form is aclear lemon yellow throughout 
with a rich orange-red tip to the upper bill. 
Tris, rich hazel brown. 
Legs and toes, fleshy grey. 
Webs, fleshy grey. 
Claws, darker horn colour. 
The feet and legs when seen at a distance appear to be of a fairly dark bluish grey, but if 
seen closer and by transmitted light, the colour becomes pink. 
MATERIAL IN THE ‘ MorNING’S’ COLLECTION. 
No. 1, ad. sk., 9, Dec. 1903. 56° S. 172° E. 
Diomedea melanophrys was first seen on September 27th, 1901 (0° 38°8.): two 
young birds with dusky tips to lemon yellow bills. After this we saw it every 
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