THE COMMON ALBATROSS. 29 1 



To follow in the wake of some passing ship, probably because the 

 agitation of her track brings to the surface the small fry of marine 

 animals which are their principal food, appears to delight them. 

 They pounce upon anything that falls overboard, even man. On 

 one occasion a sailor fell into the sea from a French vessel, and 

 could not be immediately rescued because there was no boat in a fit 

 state to be lowered. A flock of Albatrosses, which followed in the 

 ship's wake, pounced upon the unfortunate seaman, and commenced 

 to peck his head. Being unable to buffet both with the sea and 

 the enemies which surrounded him, the poor sailor perished before 

 the very eyes of his comrades. 



The Gulls, the Albatrosses, and Petrels, may be said to be the 

 vultures of the ocean — its scavengers ; for they cleanse it of all the 

 putrefied animal substances which float on its surface. 



At the breeding season, which varies according to the hemisphere 

 inhabited by them, the Albatrosses congregate at their favourite 

 nesting-places. In the southern hemisphere this is about the end of 

 September, when they assemble in immense numbers on the island 

 of Tristan d'Acunha, in the South Atlantic Ocean. Their nests, 

 which are about three feet in height, are formed of mud. 



Their flesh is very hard, and can only be rendered eatable by 

 laying it for a long time in salt, and afterwards boiling it, and 

 flavouring it with some piquant sauce. Nevertheless, sailors, as well 

 as the inhabitants of the desolate southern regions, use it, but only 

 in the absence of better food. 



The most remarkable species are, the Common Albatross (Dio- 

 medea exulans, Fig. 108), which frequents the seas washing the south 

 of Africa; the Sooty Albatross (D. fidginosa), which also inhabits the 

 seas round the Cape. of Good Hope; the Yellow-beaked Albatross 

 (D. chlororhynchus), which, like the preceding species, inhabits the 

 seas of the South Pole.* 



* Captain Cook mentions a variety frequently captured by the inhabitants of 

 Kamtschatka and the Kurile Islands. 



T 2 



