DIOMEDEA ALBATRUS. 



of transition. Peale, who saw great numbers of this Albatros on the north-west 

 coast of America, says that its plumage varied even more than that of D. exulans, 

 evidently taking many years to acquire the adult dress. 



Steller, who first discovered D. albatrus, found it abundant on the sea of Okotsk, 

 in the Gulf of Penshin and near Bering Island, where it arrives about the end of June 

 and returns southwards towards the latter end of July. 



Major Barrett-Hamilton presented an adult female to the British Museum, 

 which was obtained on Bering Island by Mr. Grebnitzki. Dr. Stejneger in his 

 memoir on the " Birds of the Commander Islands " (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mies., No. 29, 

 p. 59), says that D. albatrus is by no means a rare visitor, and is called " Albatros " 

 by the natives, D. nigripes being seldom seen there. Old birds in white plumage 

 appear in March, when the dark young birds of the previous year are more 

 numerous than the adults, of which very few remain, and these do not breed. 

 Among the multitude of Auks and Fulmars one or two of these gigantic birds 

 are always noticeable, as the Albatros is the first to take wing upon the approach of 

 any boat. 



An example from Hamilton Island, off the coast of Corea, was presented to the 

 British Museum by Mr. A. G. Wilday (Salvin, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XXV., p. 445, 

 spec, m.), and others were procured from Iturup, the most southern of the Kurile 

 Islands. These specimens were purchased by the Museum under the impression 

 that they were from the Liu Kiu Islands (Salvin, I.e., p. 445, spec. h. k.), but a 

 MS. note by Seebohm states that they were really from Iturup. 



In Japan the species was obtained by Captain Blakiston and Mr. Henson at 

 Hakodate, and two examples were also collected by Mr. Pryer in Tokio Bay ; Mr. 

 Ringer obtained specimens at Nagasaki (Seebohm, Birds Japan. Emp., p. 261) ; 

 and Mr. Hoist found this Albatros nesting on the Bonin Islands (Seebohm, Ibis, 1890, 

 p. 105). 



D. albatrus occurs in the Chinese seas, where it was obtained by Mr. Swinhoe at 

 Amoy and Chefoo in April and June, while Mr. Rickett procured adult and young 

 birds off Foochow in February and May. 



This species also apparently extends along the entire western coast of North 

 America, from the Prybilof Islands and Alaska to California, and Mr. Dall recorded 

 it from the Aleutian Islands. 



During the cruise of the " Corwin " Mr. Nelson met with a young Albatros of this 

 species between St. Lawrence Island and Plover Bay, which appears to be the most 

 northern latitude yet recorded. We have very little information as to its habits, 

 but it is probable that they resemble those of other members of the genus. 



Gould believed that D. albatrus was likely to occur among the birds of Australia, 

 but as yet no specimen has been obtained there (Handb. Birds Austr., II., p. 433). 



Twelve eggs of D. albatrus taken by the late Mr. Hoist in the Bonin Islands, 



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