294 



OKDERS OF BIRDS— MID -OCEAN SWIMMERS 



send a bird skyward like a kite, which position 

 it would retain until hauled down on the deck. 



"Fishing for 'Gonies' was a common amuse- 

 ment on the Albatross, and specimens were 

 often photographed alive on the decks, or 

 marked in some way to determine if possible 

 whether the same individuals followed the ves- 

 sel throughout the voyage. Marked birds, 

 however, never were seen again. The handling 

 which they received probably disinclined them 

 to follow the vessel. 



"The arrival of an Albatross on deck was 

 usually followed by the disgorging of more or 

 less food. They could not rise from the deck, 

 and frequently were kept on board for several 

 days. They walk with great difficulty, and bite 

 savagely. 



"Albatrosses rise easily from the sea, and 

 when the wind is blowing it is done very quickly. 

 In calm weather, several strokes of the wings, 

 and a rapid movement of the feet are necessary 

 for the bird to clear the water. No bird can 

 exceed the Albatross in the gracefulness of its 

 flight. Usually following in the wake, it has, 

 however, no difficulty in passing ahead of the 

 vessel, always on rigid, motionless wings, rising, 

 descending, or turning without a wing move- 

 ment that is visible to the eye. 



"On voyages southwestward from California, 

 the Black-Footed Albatross did not usually 

 follow the vessel more than two-thirds of the 

 way to the Hawaiian Islands. A species known 

 as Diomedea chinensis breeds in great numbers 

 on the chain of islands extending northwest- 

 ward from Hawaii. So far as I am aware, the 

 breeding-place of Diomedea nigripes is not 

 known. It probably breeds during the winter 

 months on islands in the southern hemisphere. 

 It is sometimes found in Bering Sea, particu- 

 larly in the Bristol Bay region, and is met with 

 all summer long in the Pacific south of the 

 Aleutian Islands. During many visits to the 

 Aleutian and other American islands, it was 

 never found on land, and the natives were not 

 acquainted with it as a nesting bird. 



"In Bering Sea we sometimes met with the 

 Short-Tailed Albatross (Diomedea albatrus). 

 This species is nearly white, and in calm 

 weather was usually observed resting on the sea, 

 near the great flocks of fulmars. While the 

 steamship Albatross was dredging off the south- 



ern coast of Chili, the great wandering alba- 

 tross was frequently to be seen resting upon the 

 water about the vessel, and we had no difficulty 

 in taking specimens with hook and line." 



Perhaps the most wonderful sight in Alba- 

 tross life is to be found on Laysan Island, in 

 the Pacific Ocean, where thousands of these 

 birds nest close together on an open plain. 

 There are acres and acres of living Albatrosses, 

 stretching away as far as the camera can include 

 them, until the plain is white with them. They 

 manifest little fear of man, even when iron 

 rails are laid down, and small iron box-cars are 



Drawn by J. Carter Beard. 



STORMY PETREL. 



pushed over them, to load with eggs from the 

 nests. 



THE FULMAR FAMILY. 



Proccllariidae. 



The Fulmars are like so many understudies 

 of the Albatrosses; and the Shearwaters bring 

 the Tube-Nosed group still nearer to the gulls 

 and terns. The habits of all these are very 

 much alike. All are strong-flying, mid-ocean 

 birds, following ships for miles in order to pick 

 up whatever edible food is thrown overboard. 

 In one respect they are marine vultures, for 

 some of the species make haste to feed upon 

 any dead animal found floating on the sea, or 

 stranded on the shore. 



No one with eyes ever need cross the Atlantic 



