434 



The Living Animals of the World 



Rothschild. They are from his book on the avifauna 

 of Laysan Island, in the North Pacific. Unfortu- 

 nately for the albatrosses and other birds, traders 

 have been attracted to Laysan for the sake of the 

 guano deposits. The birds were strictly protected 

 during the occupation of jMr. Preece, but when he 

 left they had no friend to shield them, and their 

 eggs were taken in cart-loads, as the accompanying 

 photograph sliows. 



When an albatross makes love, Professor Moseley 

 tells us, he stands " by the female on the nest, 

 raises his wings, spreads his tail and elevates it, 

 throws up his head with the bill in the air, or 

 stretches it straight out forwards as far as he can, 

 and then utters a curious cry. . . . ^^'hilst uttering 

 the cry the bird sways his neck up and down. The 

 female resjionds with a similar note, and they bring 

 the tips of their bills lovingly together. This sort 

 of thing goes on for half an hour or so at a time." 



There are several different kinds of albatross. 

 The largest measures over 11 feet across the out 

 stretched win»s. Thev are inhabitants of the southern 



After the Albatrosses, the largest bird of the 



group is the Giant Petrel. The sailors call 



it " Break-bones," " Nelly," or '• Stinker." In habits 



it differs much from its aristocratic relative the 



albatross, haunting the coasts in search of dead seals and whales, and the bodies of other 



birds. Professor Moseley aptly 



~ likens it to the vulture: "It 



soars all day along the coast 

 on the look-out for food. No 

 sooner is an animal killed 

 than numbers appear as if 

 by magic, and the birds are 

 evidently well acquainted with 

 the usual proceedings of 

 sealers, who kill the sea- 

 elephant, take off the skin 

 and blubber, and leave the 

 carcase. The birds gorge 

 themselves with food, just like 

 the vultures, and are then 

 unable to fly. I came across 

 half a dozen at Christmas 

 Harbour in this condition. 

 We landed just opposite 

 them ; they began to run to 

 get out of the way. The 

 men chased them ; they ran 

 off, spreading their wings, but 

 unable to rise. Some struggled 



P/>otQ h>y B. Lc Som/] [Mdhov.riu. 



WHITE-CAPPED ALBATROSS ON EGG. 



Professor Moseley desevites the egf? of the albatross as being 

 held in a soit of pouch. 



Sjs ' I'Ji ojtht Uoa. Ilalli, IwtliAchdd] [Tring. 



CAETING ALBATROSS EGGS ON THE ISLAND OF LAYSAN. 

 At one tin,e these birds were jiroteeted ; as this photograph testifies, this is DO longer the oas< 



