( 88 ) 
7 he Albatross. 
T his Bird is big-bodied, and very long winged ; I take it to be one of the largeft, if 
not the very biggeft, Water-Bird in the World *, by meafuring him crofs-ways, from 
Tip to Tip of the Wings, he meafured near ten Feet *, the firft Bone of the Wing, which joins it 
to the Body, equals the Length of the whole Body, as appears in a Skeleton of one of thefe Birds 
I have by me. The Wing, from the Joint to the End' of the Quills, when the Wing is clofed, 
meafures two Feet ; the Leg, from the Knee downwards, meafures four Inches and a half ; the 
middle Toe was feven Inches long. Thefe Birds vary in Size, for the Meafures in die Skeleton 
I have are a third Part lefs in all its Parts than what I have given here. 
The BUI is of a dirty Yellowifh Colour, fuch as we fee in old Boan : The Bottom Figure in the 
annexed Plate Ihews it of its natural Bignefs, with its Grooves and F*urrows j the Noftrils are 
very remarkable, having rifing Coverings over them, with the Openings forward, as exprelled 
in the Figures : The Bill is a little comprefled fide- ways toward the Head, and gradually be- 
comes more fo toward the Point, which is remarkably hooked •, the Crown of the Head is of 
a lightifh afh-colour’d Brown ; the Remainder of the Head, all the Neck, Breaft, Belly, Thighs, 
covert Feathers under the Tail, and Coverts within Side of the Wings, are White: The hind 
Part of the Neck, Sides under the Wings, and Sides of the Breaft, have fome fmall tranfverfe 
dusfky Lines mixed with the White ; the Back is of a dirty Brown, with fmall tranfverfe Lines 
of Black, and fome greater Spots of Black or Lead Colour *, the Rump is of a lightifh Brown- 
colour *, the Tail of a blueifh Lead-colour, inclining to Black ; the Wing of the fame Colour 
with the Tail, the Quills being darker, or altogether Black ; the Ridge of that Part of the Wing 
next the Back is White •, the Legs and Feet are of a Flefh-colour ; it hath only three Toes, all 
Handing forward, and webb’d together ; it hath alfo a Fin or Web running along the outer 
Sides of the outer and inner Toes of each Foot, which I have not obferved in any other Water- 
Birds, except on the inner Toes of fome. 
I have examined two Birds of this Kind fluffed, which agreed in Magnitude, and all other 
Refpedls, from which I made Sketches ; the one was fhewn me by George Holmes^ Efq. Keeper 
of the Records in the Tower of London ; the other is in the PofTeffion of Mr. Benjamin Cowell^ 
Surgeon, in Lombard-Street, Mr. Albin has given a Figure of the Bill of this Bird ; fee his Hif- 
tory of Birds, VoL III. Fa. 76. and I believe the late Dr. James Douglas obliged him with the 
Defcription of it. Albin confounds this Bird with one called in the IVeft- Indies y Idas, Man- of -War 
Bird, wherein he is wrong ; for, on examining Voyagers on that Head, I find they make the 
Man-ofWar a much fmaller Bird, and they who have mentioned the Albatrofs make it of the 
firfl Magnitude of Water-Fowl ; fo that I can by no Means agree that they are the fame Birds. 
I know of no Figure extant of this Bird *, or any Defcription of it, but fuch as are commonly 
given by Voyagers (who for the mofl Part are very general, and none but imperfefl Ideas of 
natural Things are .received from them) on which Account I thought this Figure and Account 
might be favourably received by the Encouragers of this Work. Thefe Birds are brought from 
the Cape of Good HopCy where they are feen in confiderable Numbers : I have not heard of their 
being frequent in any other Part of the World. I have tranfcribed Sir Hans Shane' ^ Defcription of 
the Man-of-War Bird out of his Hiftory of Jamaicay to fliew it is not the Albatrofs, which is as 
follows, Vol. I. Pa. 30. “ This Bird fcems very large, bigger than a Kite, and Black ; they 
“ fly, like Kites y very high, and often appear immoveable over the Water, to wait for and 
“ catch fmall Fifh appearing on its Surface *, they are Iharp winged, and their Tail is forked.’* 
I take Mr. Albin' % Frigate Bird to be the fame with the Man-of-War Bird, 
