﻿434 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  ■■■;' 
  

  

  WANDERING 
  ALBATROSSES 
  COURTING 
  — 
  

   THE 
  KISS 
  

  

  The 
  wooing 
  of 
  the 
  albatross 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  curi- 
  

   osities 
  of 
  the 
  bird 
  world 
  (see 
  text 
  below). 
  

  

  side 
  between 
  the 
  goose 
  and 
  her 
  pompous 
  

   mate. 
  

  

  HOME 
  OE 
  THE 
  ANCIENT 
  MARINER'S 
  BIRD 
  

  

  The 
  great, 
  white, 
  wandering 
  albatross, 
  

   the 
  bird 
  of 
  the 
  Ancient 
  Mariner, 
  is 
  a 
  

   true 
  embodiment 
  of 
  the 
  spirit 
  of 
  South 
  

   Georgia. 
  These 
  splendid 
  creatures 
  nest 
  

   in 
  large 
  colonies 
  on 
  the 
  islets 
  and 
  grassy 
  

   promontories 
  in 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Isles. 
  Within 
  

   a 
  stone's 
  throw 
  of 
  my 
  camp 
  seven 
  pairs 
  

   carried 
  on 
  their 
  courtship 
  and 
  breeding. 
  

  

  In 
  December 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  dark-colored 
  

   young 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  year, 
  with 
  patches 
  

   of 
  gray 
  down 
  clinging 
  to 
  their 
  plumage 
  

   feathers, 
  were 
  still 
  lingering 
  about 
  the 
  

   colonies 
  ; 
  but 
  with 
  the 
  advent 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  

   breeding 
  season 
  these 
  backward 
  young- 
  

   sters 
  were 
  no 
  longer 
  fed 
  by 
  their 
  parents, 
  

   so 
  they 
  soon 
  learned 
  to 
  fly 
  and 
  went 
  off 
  

   to 
  sea. 
  

  

  The 
  wooing 
  of 
  the 
  albatross 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  

   the 
  marvels 
  of 
  the 
  bird 
  world. 
  An 
  un- 
  

   attached 
  female 
  is 
  commonly 
  besieged 
  by 
  

   several 
  suitors, 
  whose 
  advances 
  are 
  most 
  

   amusing, 
  as 
  they 
  throw 
  forward 
  their 
  

   breasts, 
  stretch 
  out 
  one 
  or 
  both 
  of 
  their 
  

   great 
  wings, 
  and 
  squeal 
  beseechingly, 
  each 
  

   trying 
  to 
  confine 
  the 
  female's 
  attention 
  

   exclusively 
  to 
  himself. 
  Now 
  and 
  then 
  a 
  

   male 
  will 
  turn 
  upon 
  his 
  rivals, 
  expressing 
  

   his 
  opinion 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  gobbling 
  jargon 
  

   which 
  is 
  doubtless 
  intended 
  to 
  be 
  abusive. 
  

   They 
  threaten 
  each 
  other, 
  too, 
  with 
  their 
  

  

  terrible 
  beaks, 
  but 
  I 
  saw 
  no 
  actual 
  fight- 
  

   ing. 
  

  

  For 
  a 
  time 
  the 
  female 
  wisely 
  distrib- 
  

   utes 
  her 
  favor 
  about 
  equally 
  among 
  the 
  

   wooers, 
  but 
  when 
  a 
  choice 
  has 
  finally 
  

   been 
  made 
  the 
  disappointed 
  males 
  walk 
  

   away, 
  with 
  heads 
  swaying 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  

   side 
  and 
  hung 
  almost 
  to 
  the 
  ground. 
  They 
  

   have 
  a 
  diabolical 
  look, 
  like 
  the 
  outwitted 
  

   villain 
  in 
  a 
  melodrama, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  easy 
  to 
  

   imagine 
  that 
  dark 
  and 
  sinister 
  thoughts 
  

   occupy 
  their 
  minds 
  (see 
  page 
  435). 
  

  

  PARENT 
  BIRDS 
  DO 
  IO-DAY 
  TURNS 
  OE 
  DUTY 
  

   ON 
  THE 
  NEST 
  

  

  The 
  nest 
  of 
  the 
  wandering 
  albatross 
  is 
  

   a 
  large 
  truncated 
  cone 
  of 
  earth 
  and 
  tus- 
  

   sock 
  stalks. 
  On 
  this 
  platform 
  the 
  bride 
  

   sits, 
  with 
  her 
  mate 
  squatting 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  

   her. 
  They 
  cross 
  their 
  bills, 
  stroke 
  one 
  

   another's 
  necks, 
  and 
  chatter, 
  making 
  the 
  

   mandibles 
  vibrate 
  so 
  rapidly 
  that 
  only 
  a 
  

   blur 
  can 
  be 
  seen. 
  Sometimes 
  they 
  point 
  

   their 
  bills 
  straight 
  upward 
  and 
  squeal 
  like 
  

   young 
  pigs. 
  A 
  resonant 
  clap 
  of 
  the 
  bill 
  

   and 
  an 
  assortment 
  of 
  grunts, 
  gobbles, 
  and 
  

   caterwauls 
  complete 
  the 
  song 
  repertory. 
  

  

  Now 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  male 
  rises, 
  takes 
  a 
  

   few 
  stately, 
  deliberate 
  steps, 
  and 
  then 
  

   poses 
  before 
  his 
  lady 
  with 
  head 
  held 
  high 
  

   and 
  both 
  wings 
  outspread 
  — 
  12 
  feet 
  from 
  

   tip 
  to 
  tip 
  — 
  a 
  come-to-my-arms 
  attitude 
  

   indeed. 
  This 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  sign 
  for 
  the 
  

   female 
  to 
  come 
  off 
  the 
  nest; 
  the 
  male 
  

   steps 
  on 
  and 
  takes 
  his 
  mate's 
  place, 
  bow- 
  

   ing, 
  and 
  declaring 
  his 
  devotion 
  without 
  

   cessation. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  single 
  egg 
  has 
  been 
  laid, 
  one 
  

   bird 
  goes 
  off 
  to 
  sea, 
  remaining 
  from 
  six 
  

   to 
  ten 
  days, 
  while 
  the 
  other 
  stays 
  at 
  home 
  

   without 
  feeding, 
  sleeping 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  

   time 
  with 
  its 
  head 
  tucked 
  under 
  its 
  wing- 
  

   coverts. 
  The 
  approach 
  of 
  a 
  skua 
  will 
  

   cause 
  it 
  to 
  rouse 
  up 
  and 
  snap 
  its 
  beak; 
  

   but 
  nothing 
  can 
  persuade 
  it 
  to 
  leave 
  the 
  

   nest, 
  even 
  for 
  an 
  instant, 
  until 
  its 
  mate 
  

   comes 
  to 
  relieve 
  it. 
  The 
  returned 
  parent 
  

   has 
  evidently 
  filled 
  up 
  on 
  cuttlefish 
  dur- 
  

   ing 
  its 
  holiday, 
  for 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  

   period 
  of 
  domestic 
  duties 
  it 
  regurgitates 
  

   little 
  piles 
  of 
  the 
  indigestible 
  beaks 
  of 
  

   cuttlefish 
  about 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  nest. 
  

  

  The 
  division 
  of 
  labor 
  in 
  the 
  albatross 
  

   family, 
  based 
  doubtless 
  on 
  very 
  ancient 
  

   principles 
  of 
  equal 
  rights, 
  continues 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  incubation. 
  

  

  Jn 
  order 
  to 
  launch 
  into 
  flight, 
  the 
  wan- 
  

  

  