ALBATROSS. 307 



this laft place they come about the end of September ox beginning 

 of OSfober, among other birds, in greai; abundance *. The nefts 

 are made on the ground with earth f, are round in ftiape, a foot 

 in height, indented at top. The egg larger than that of a Goofe, 

 four inches and a half long, white, marked with dull fpots at the 

 bigger end ; and is thought to be good food, the white never 

 growing hard with boiling. While the female is fitting the male 

 is conftantly on the wing, and fupplies her with food : during 

 this time are fo tame as to fuffer themfelves to be fhoved off 

 the neft while their eggs are taken from them ; but their chief 

 deftruction arifes from the Hawk J, which, the moment the female 

 gets off the neft, darts thereon, and flies away with the egg. 

 The Albatrojs itfelf likewife has its enemy, being greatly perfe- 

 cuted while on the wing by the dark grey Gull, called Skua. 

 This bird attacks it on all fides, but particularly endeavours to 

 get beneath, which is only prevented by the firft fettling on the 

 water || ; and indeed they do not frequently fly at a great dif- 

 tance from the furface, except obliged fo to do by high winds §, 

 or other caufes. As foon as the young are able to remove from 

 the neft, the Penguins take poflefllon, and hatch their young in 

 turn. It is probable that they pafs from one part of the globe to 

 another according to the feafon ; being now and then met with, 



* A part of New Zealand is called Allatrofs Point, from this circumftance.— 

 Parkin/. Voy. p. 113. 



t With /edges, in form of a hay-cock, three feet in height. — Ard. Zool. 



% Of two forts. Penro/e.-—One of which is our New Zealand Falcon, vol. i. 

 P-57- 



11 lorfi. Voy. i. p. iiS.—HiJl. des Oif. 



§ Sometimes foars above the clouds. — Amcsn. Acad. v. p. 75. 



R r 2 by 



