ALB 
belly is wliite; and the toes, which are webbed, 
are of a flelh-colour. 
Such are the leading traits in the figure of this 
famous bird: but theie alone give us a very im- 
perfefl infight into it's hiftory and qualities ; we 
fiirdi therefore inveftigate it's particular habits, 
which render it a fubjed of fome importance to 
the fcience. 
The Albatrofs is one of the moft fierce and for- 
midable of the aquatic tribe 5 not only preying 
on fifli, but likewife on fuch fmall water-fov/l as 
as it can take by furprize. It preys, after the 
manner of all the gull tribe, on the v/ing ; and 
chiefly purlues the flying-fifh, when driven from 
the ocean by the dolphin. In our northern feas, 
one dreary expanfe, ruffled by winds, and feemingly 
ab-indoned by every clafs of animated nature, pre- 
fents i''elf; but in the tropical feas, and the dif- 
tant iwuthet-n latitudes, thefcene is filled with birds 
and fifaes purfuing and purfued. Every diffe- 
tent fpecies of the gull-kind is there feen hover- 
ing on tne wing, and at an immenfe diflance from 
fliore. The fiying-fifh is continually rifing to 
elude it's enemies in the deep ; but, in efcaping 
one dd,nger, it generally falls into another equally 
fatal, juit as it rifts, the dolphin is fcen to dart 
after it, though generally in vain; but the gull has 
more frequent lliccefs, and ofcen catches it at it's 
rife; Wiiiltt'ie Albatrofs, purfuing the gull, com- 
pels it to rcli.iquifh it's prey. Thus the whole 
horizon prefen's one general fcene of rapacity and 
cunning, o^'ftratagem and evafion. 
' As the Albatrofs,' fays Wicquefort, ' except when 
it breeds, lives entirely remote from land, fo it is 
often feen, as it fhould feem, repofing in the air. 
At night when it is prcffed by flumber, it rifes into 
the clouds, as high as it can; where, putting it's 
head under one wing, and beating the air with 
the other, it feems to enjoy it's eafe. After fome 
time, however, -the weight of it's body, only thus 
half fupported, brings it down ; and it is then feen 
defcending, v/ith a pretty accelerated motion, to- 
wards the lurface of the deep: on this it again 
exerts itfelf to rife ; and thus, alternately, afcends 
and defcends at it's eafe. But, during thefe un- 
common numbering flights, it frequently lofes it's 
equilibrium; and, falling on the deck of fome ihip, 
becomes an eafy prey to the mariners.' 
How far this account may correfpond with fim- 
ple truth, is difficult to determine ; but certain it 
is^ that few birds float on the air with more fa- 
clUty than the A.- oatiofs; or are capable of fupport- 
ing themfelves a longer time in tliat element. 
It feems unconfcicus of the exceifes of fatigue; 
keeps hovering nigh^ and day on the wing, and 
always appears as if emaciated with hunger. 
But tliouffh this Lird may juftly be deemed one 
of the iTxoft dreaded tyrants of the deep, it does not 
indifcriminately prey on every animal, ajid en- 
tire] rclinquiih any affociation with other crea- 
tures. Bei-wcpn the penquin and the Albatrofs 
there feems to be a peculiar afFeftion : they are al- 
ways fcen to chufe the fame breeding places; 
wL.^h are generally diftant unfrequented iflands, 
in which the ground dopes downward to the fea, 
the penquin behig neither formed for flying nor 
climbing. In fuch fituations, their nefts are con- 
tiguous, as if they ftoodin need of mutual afllftance 
and protcccion. The union preferved between 
thefe birds, and the regularity with which they 
build their nefts, are indeed aftonifhing. On the 
Falkland iflands, thofe bleak and defolate fpots, 
A L I 
where thefe birds had long continued undifturbed, 
and in no refpedt, dreaded the encroachments oi 
m,en, they feemed to make their habitations as 
convenient as if they expefted them to be per- 
manent: they built them with an amazing de- 
gree of uniformity, and their fociety refembled a 
regular plantation. In theiriiddle, the Albatrofs 
railed it's neft, on heath-flicks and long-grafs, 
about two feet from the furface of the ground; 
and round this the penquins conftrufted their in- 
ferior abodes, by making holes in the earth, the 
general proportion they obferved being that of eight 
penquins round one Albatrofs. But as thefe iflands 
are now more frequented than formerly, the pen- 
quin and the Albatrofs have forfaken them, and 
fought fome more obfcure retreat: a flriking con- 
firmation of BufFon's judicious remark, that the 
prefence of man not only deftroys the fociety of 
meaner animals, but likewife ferves to extinguifh 
their inftinfts. 
ALBELEN. A fifli of the truttaceous kind, 
called alfo albula, flrongly refembling the ferra. 
It is caught in the German and other lakes, and 
commonly weighs from five to fix pounds, though 
fometimes it has been found to weigh twelve. 
The colour of the Albelen is a fine filvery white, 
with fome very pale ftrise. 
ALBORO. A name by which the erythrinus, 
a fmall red fifh caught in the Mediterranean, 
is commonly known in the Italian markets. 
ALBULA. A genus of fiflies of the trutta- 
ceous kind, diilinguifhed by their being deftitute 
of teeth. 
ALBULA INDICA. A finall fifh refembling 
a herring, caught on the oriental fhores, and called 
by the Dutch the wit-fifh. 
ALBULA NOBILIS. The clafllcal name of 
one of the truttaceous fpecies of fifli caught in 
the German lakes, and in thofe of various other 
countries. 
ALBURNUS. A frefli-water fifh, commonly 
known in England by the name of the bleak. It 
is frequently caught in the Britifh rivers, as, well 
as in thofe of fome other European countries, and is 
efteemed agreeable food. It is a fpecies of the cy- 
prinus of Linnseus ; and is in the greatefl perfec- 
tion during the month of September. See Bleak, 
ALBURNUS LACUSTRIS. A name er- 
roneoufly given by fome naturalifts to the ballerus 
of the ancients, or the pallerus and pleyfta of the 
moderns. 
ALBUS PISCIS. The white-fifli; a name by 
which Salvian has called the capito lacuflus; and 
which feems to be the fame with the blue-chub; 
or, as it is more frequently called, the gontling. 
See Gontling. 
ALCEDO. A genus of birds belonging to the 
order of piciE, and comprehending fifteen fpecies. 
Their diftinguifhing charafterifbics are, that the 
beak is triangular, thick, ftraight, and long; the 
tongue is fhort, flefhy, fmooth, and acute; and the 
feet are peculiarly formed for walking. 
ALCEDO VOCALIS. A name by which 
Bellonius, Aldrovandus, and fome other authors, 
have called the red fparrow. 
ALEC. A name applied by Gaza, in his com- 
mentaries on Ariftotle, to the fifh called by that 
author mainis, and by Ovid monerela. It feems to 
be of the fparus kind. 
ALIARBUCHA. The Arabian name for a 
large fpecies of rat common in that country; and 
v/hich is reckoned pretty falubrious food, accord- 
ing 
