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distance like a huge Gannet held against the sky, and so conspicuous in its albinism that it could be readily 

 distinguished among a hundred ordinary birds. So near an approach to perfect albinism I have not before 

 met with among the Albatroses, although, as recorded from time to time, I have obtained several more or less 

 pure albinoes of Ossifraga gigantea, one of these having not a vestige of colour on any part of the body. A 

 fellow passenger, however, Mr. William Temple, who came out to New Zealand by the E.M.S. 'Arawa,' 

 informs me that last Christmas, when about half-way between the Cape of Good Hope and Hobart, an 

 exceedingly large Albatros, of snowy whiteness, without a single dark feather of any sort, came up astern, and 

 followed the steamer for some time. The chief engineer was induced to stop the engines for half an hour, and 

 lines were thrown out in the hope of taking this beautiful bird. It came very near being caught ; but after 

 one of the ordinary kind had been hoisted on board, the engines were put in motion again and the albino was 

 left^ behind. These birds are known to live to a great age, and for years to come, in all probability, this 

 majestic Albatros will sweep with its snow-white pinions the dark waters of the South Pacific. Let us hope 

 that at the breeding-season it will repair to one of the great Albatros nurseries periodically visited by the 

 Government steamer ' Hinemoa,' and that Captain Fairchild, who is ever on the look-out for novelties, may 

 have an opportunity of annexing it for science. These ' nurseries ' are doubtless a long way off from where 

 the bird was seen, but, as will presently appear, distance is as nothing to an Albatros. 



To return, however, to my bird now in attendance on the ship. But for the black-tipped wings this 

 magnificent Albatros might have been the one that so narrowly escaped being hooked by the 'Arawa' 

 passengers. He cruises about amongst the other Albatroses, but always at a distance from the ship. The 

 individuality of this bird is so pronounced that it can be distinguished from the rest at almost any distance, 

 and it will be interesting to note how long it will follow the steamer. 



It seems to me that we have not yet solved the problem involved in the flight of the Albatros— a rapid, 

 well-sustained motion, ever against the wind, with scarcely any visible movement of the wings. There are 

 some very sensible observations on the subject in Dr. Bennett's ' Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia ' ; 

 Professor Hutton has grappled with the mechanical principles it rests upon ; and the Duke of Argyll has 

 treated the question in a masterly way in his * Keign of Law.' But, after all, can it be said that the problem 

 has been satisfactorily solved? I think not. Sir James Hector believed, with myself, that it might be 

 explained by some peculiar mechanism in the wing of this bird ; and at a meeting of the "Wellington Philo- 

 sophical Society, some years ago, he elaborated a very ingenious theory on the subject, exhibiting at the 

 same time an Albatros-wing specially prepared to illustrate his argument. In 1889 he took the trouble to 

 send to England a fine adult Albatros in spirits of wine for critical examination by an expert. I forwarded 

 it to the well-known comparative anatomist, Dr. Hans Gadow, F.B.S., at Cambridge, but he reported that 

 he could not discover any departure from the normal character in the structure of the wing; and so the 

 matter rests at present. The most remarkable point is that the bird, without any apparent effort — without 

 any visible movement of the limbs themselves — by merely shifting its position so as to alter the angle of 

 incidence, performs an elegant sweep, cutting a great 'figure 8' in the air, and, as Froude puts it, with the 

 adroitness of an accomplished skater on an untouched field of ice. The one thing that surprises one most, 

 next to this marvellous power of sustained flight, is that the Albatros will soar for hours together without 

 once descending to the surface of the water to feed. And yet, if an Albatros should happen to be caught, 

 it immediately vomits an abundance of pure oil, indicating anything but an empty crop. The squid is said 

 to be its principal food ; but where does it collect this diet ? And, if it is so plentiful on the surface of the 

 ocean, why do these birds so persistently follow ships in search of food? 



6th March. — My White Albatros appeared again about 11 a.m. to-day, so that it must have been on the 

 wing during part of the night. There was an easterly gale blowing, and few birds to be seen. I observed 

 some Dove Petrels (Prion desolatus), and some other White-bellied Petrels, but too far off from the ship to 

 permit of my identifying them with any certainty. They flew very low, turning often so as to expose the 

 under-side, and were rapid on the wing. 



7th March. — About 2 p.m. my White Albatros came up to us again, and coursed about in wide circles as 

 before, but disappeared long before nightfall. 



8th March. — There was a heavy south-easterly gale during the night, lasting four hours. It had abated 

 somewhat in the morning, but I did not expect to see the White Albatros again. However, he overtook us 

 once more about 2 p.m., and, after a circuit fully a mile in extent, he vanished in the wide expanse, returning 

 later on, and remaining with us till the close of the day. The only other Albatros seen to-day was a Molly- 

 mawk (apparently Diomedea culminata), which kept company with the ship for an hour or two, never coming 

 very near, but coursing about among the Grey Petrels, which were less numerous than yesterday. 



