NOTES AND QUERIES. 337 



for food, but pursue them as they would a wind-driven leaf — or indeed 

 anything else that moves — merely for sport. — G. B. Corbin (Ring wood, 

 Hants). [See a note on this subject in the January number, p. 25. — Ed.] 



BIRDS. 



Albatross at the Fseroe Isles. — Before sailing for Faeroe in June 

 last, in the yacht ' Daydream,' I had heard from Prof. Newton of the 

 capture of an Albatross there. In Thorshavn, Herr Seysselmand H. C. 

 Miiller entrusted me with the complete MS. of his 'Avifauna of Faeroe,' 

 wherein the latest items recorded were — " 151. Oriolus galbida, L. 1893," 

 and "152. Albatross: ?Mygganaes." Herr Miiller told me that the latter 

 bird was shot there, and that he was informed it had frequented the island 

 for forty years, living in amity with the Gannets. But at last it was shot 

 because it acted as sentinel for the Gannets, and the people could not catch 

 the latter asleep when they went to levy their usual toll of birds. The following 

 day, after seeing Herr Miiller (who told me he believed I could purchase 

 the bird from Mr. Petersen, of Naalsoe, for 20 krone), we crossed to that 

 island. Mr. Petersen was not at home, but his wife was. She spoke almost 

 perfect English, and repeated the story of the Albatross, mentioning the 

 same period of time (forty years). I saw the bird — a lovely skin, prepared 

 by Mr. Petersen, who had purchased it in the flesh from the (Mygganaes?) 

 man who shot it. I left the offer for it of 20 krone, but on returning to 

 Thorshavn some weeks later I learnt that it had gone to the Kjobenhavn 

 National Museum — a fitting resting-place for it; and on reaching home 

 I heard that it had been identified there as the Yellow-billed Albatross, 

 Diomedia melanophrxjs. On arriving at Frazerburgh and leaving the yacht, 

 in end of July, I went to Peterhead, to examine once more the Albatross 

 in the Museum there, which is labelled Diomedia melanophrys. The two 

 birds, so far as I could judge, were in every respect similar, except that the 

 Mygganaes specimen, fully adult, had no black superciliary streak. The 

 Peterhead specimen, identical in size, had a strongly-marked very black 

 (dusky at the edges?) superciliary streak, and, if the same species, would be 

 possibly younger than the Mygganaes specimen. Referring to my journals 

 of 1882, May 16th, I find that, in company with Mr. George Sim, of 

 Aberdeen, I visited the Peterhead Museum, and made the following note : — 

 "Diomedia melanophrys. This specimen was killed June 15th, 1878, in 

 lat. 80° 11" N., long. 4/ E., and was presented to the Museum at Peterhead 

 by Capt. David Gray, of the steam whaler ' Eclipse,' " as appears by the 

 label on the case as it now stands in the handsome new Museum buildings. 

 I have now to add that on July 18th, when off the Orkneys, and twenty 

 miles from land, I saw an undoubted Albatross, apparently about the same 

 size as the above-mentioned specimens. It was also seen by our captain as 

 he stood beside me. But it was distinctly an immature bird, judging from 



ZOOLOGIST, THIRD SERIES, VOL. XVIII. — SEPT. 1894. 2 D 



