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9th March.— The wind being fair, we made a good run during the night, averaging twelve knots an hour. 

 In the morning there were very few Grey Petrels and no Albatroses. It would seem that the latter rest on 

 the surface of the water during the night, and overtake the steamer next day by following her up in a direct 

 line ; but, seeing the start the ship has got during the night, this performance presupposes a marvellous power 

 of wing, and not of wing only, but of instinctive knowledge of the course to be followed. I can hardly accept 

 Professor Hutton's theory that this is the result of sight, one set of birds mounting high in the air and follow- 

 ing the movements of another set of birds nearer the ship ; for example, to-day the atmosphere is hazy, and 

 no power of vision would be of any avail. I watched with much interest for the reappearance of my White 



■B 



KOYAL ALBATROS ON HER NEST. 



Albatros, and, to my delight, true to time — a little after 2 p.m. — he came sweeping up in grand style. Since 

 we first made his acquaintance, on the 5th instant, he has performed a voyage, measured in a straight line, of 

 970 miles ; but, when the never-ending circles of flight and gyrations in the air are taken into account, probably 

 three times that distance, or, say, 3,000 miles — perhaps even more ! This is one of those incidents in the 

 romance of natural history that set the mind thinking ; and one is quite prepared to accept Mr. Gould's con- 

 clusions as to an Albatros being able to encircle the globe in its unwearied flight. 



10th March. — When the morning broke the wind had fallen, and there was a haze over the ocean which 

 had not cleared away as the day advanced. I looked out anxiously for my White Albatros at the usual hour, 

 but he did not reappear from behind those misty veils, aad we saw him no more. 



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Mi 



