DIOMEDEA EXULANS. 



(Birds New Zeal., Ed. 2, II., p. 189). Mr. Frank Green, who has measured over 

 one hundred specimens, says that the expanse rarely exceeds 11 feet (Green, 

 Ocean Birds, p. 5), which corresponds with a mounted example in the British 

 Museum. 



Mr. J. Buckland relates that during the early part of the breeding season 

 the birds stand in pairs or small groups, bowing or rubbing their bills together, 

 apparently quite indifferent to the presence of a stranger. 



Mr. Buckland's article, originally published in the " English Illustrated 

 Magazine," entitled " A Remarkable Fast," is reproduced by Sir Walter 

 Buller in his " Supplement to The Birds of New Zealand " (I., pp. 131-133). He 

 apparently refers to two species of Albatros, as he mentions the birds of 

 Antipodes Island (i.e., D. exulans), Auckland Islands (i.e., D. regia or D. exulans) 

 and Campbell Island (i.e., D. regia). The nestling, according to Mr. Buckland, 

 is fed by the old birds until it becomes so fat that it exceeds the parents in weight, 

 and then the latter leave their young for four months, or more. During their 

 absence the nestling gets no food, but subsists entirely on its own fat, which statement 

 if true, is probably without a parallel in natural history. When the parents return, they 

 fondle their young for a short time, after which they turn them out, and proceed to 

 repair their nests and recommence the process of incubation. It is said that the 

 young birds are still unable to fly when their parents return and recommence nesting. 

 They walk about in the neighbourhood of the nests, and ultimately accompany 

 their parents to sea, when the next brood is fully grown. 



Mr. Comer confirms the statement that the young Albatroses are unable to 

 fly till they are ten months old, adding that not more than five per cent, ever leave 

 their nests, so many being killed by the Skuas and Giant Petrels. 



The two eggs in the British Museum are described by Mr. Oates (Cat. Eggs Brit. 

 Mus., I., p. 162), as " white, very sparingly stippled with reddish-brown at the larger 

 end." They measure respectively 4.85 by 3.1 ; 5.25 by 3.02. 



Nestling. There are two specimens from the Auckland Islands in the Tring 

 Museum. One is clothed in light grey down, whiter on the head and fore-part of 

 the body ; the other, also a full-grown nestling, is covered with pale slaty-grey 

 down. The first plumage, which is fully developed under the downy covering, 

 shows that the upper-sruface is blackish brown, including the crown and the under- 

 surf ace ; the wing is black. A young fledgling examined by Sir Walter Buller had 

 the bill white and the feet pale grey (Suppl. Birds New Zeal., I., p. 130). 



Mr. Reischek believes that it takes five years for the Albatros to attain its fully 

 adult plumage, and though this is probable, there is insufficient evidence to 

 establish the fact. The following is a description of what I believe to be the first 

 stages of plumage after the bird emerges from its down-clad condition. 



Young. Dark brown above, the feathers with fighter brown margins, the 



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