122 WANDERING ALBATROSS. 



This I only noticed in those birds with the black 

 pencillings on the back. In dead specimens this colour 

 fades. When just killed most persons mistake it for 

 blood, and I thought it was at first. Another specimen 

 had the back, scapulars, and wing coverts of a brownish 

 black colour; under surface of wings white, with a few 

 brown feathers; upper part, sides of head, and back of 

 neck brownish black; breast, abdomen, and front of 

 neck delicate snow white. 



"The last bird examined was entirely brown, except 

 the upper part of the head, which was white; the 

 breast and abdomen covered with brown and white 

 feathers prettily intermingled." 



"The mandibles of all these specimens, when first 

 captured, were of a beautiful pink colour, except at 

 the tips, which were of a yellowish white. The in- 

 tenseness of the pink hue subsided when the bird was 

 reposing on the deck of the ship; but there still 

 remained a delicate and handsome tint of pink over 

 the mandible. In the dead bird the beak became 

 pallid, and at last changed to the yellowish colour 

 observable in museums." The feet are light bluish; 

 iris brown. 



The weight of a Wandering Albatross captured by 

 Dr. Bennett was twenty pounds, while the skeleton only 

 weighed two pounds ten ounces. 



My figure of this bird is from Gould's Birds of 

 Australia. 



It has also been figured by Buffon, pi. enl. 237; 

 Vieillot, Gallerie des Oiseaux du Museum, pi. 205. 



The egg is after a specimen kindly sent by Mr. 

 Tristram. 



