294 
ORDERS OF BIRDS— MID -OCEAN SWIMMERS 
send a bird skyward like a kite, which position 
it would retain until hauled down on the deck. 
“Fishing for ‘Gonies’ was a common amuse- 
ment on the Albatross, and specimens were 
often photographed alive on the decks, or 
marked in some way to determine if possible 
whether the same individuals followed the ves- 
sel throughout the voyage. Marked birds, 
however, never were seen again. The handling 
which they received probably disinclined them 
to follow the vessel. 
“The arrival of an Albatross on deck was 
usually followed by the disgorging of more or 
less food. They could not rise from the deck, 
and frequently were kept on board for several 
days. They walk with great difficulty, and bite 
savagely. 
“Albatrosses rise easily from the sea, and 
when the wind is blowing it is done' very quickly. 
In calm weather, several strokes of the wings, 
and a rapid movement of the feet are necessary 
for the bird to clear the water. No bird can 
exceed the Albatross in the gracefulness of its 
flight. Usually following in the wake, it has, 
however, no difficulty in passing ahead of the 
vessel, always on rigid, motionless wings, rising, 
descending, or turning without a wing move- 
ment that is visible to the eye. 
“On voyages southwestward from California, 
the Black-Footed Albatross did not usually 
follow the vessel more than two-thirds of the 
way to the Hawaiian Islands. A species known 
as Diomedea chinensis breeds in great numbers 
on the chain of islands extending northwest- 
ward from Hawaii. So far as I am aware, the 
breeding-place of Diomedea nigripes is not 
known. It probably breeds during the winter 
months on islands in the southern hemisphere. 
It is sometimes found in Bering Sea, particu- 
larly in the Bristol Bay region, and is met with 
all summer long in the Pacific south of the 
Aleutian Islands. During many visits to the 
Aleutian and other American islands, it was 
never found on land, and the natives were not 
acquainted with it as a nesting bird. 
“ In Bering Sea we sometimes met with the 
Short-Tailed Albatross ( Diomedea albatrus). 
This species is nearly white, and in calm 
weather was usually observed resting on the sea, 
near the great flocks of fulmars. While the 
steamship Albatross was dredging off the south- 
ern coast of Chili, the great wandering alba- 
tross was frequently to be seen resting upon the 
water about the vessel, and we had no difficulty 
in taking specimens with hook and line.” 
Perhaps the most wonderful sight in Alba- 
tross life is to be found on Laysan Island, in 
the Pacific Ocean, where thousands of these 
birds nest close together on an open plain. 
There are acres and acres of living Albatrosses, 
stretching away as far as the camera can include 
them, until the plain is white with them. They 
manifest little fear of man, even when iron 
rails are laid down, and small iron box-cars are 
Drawn by J. Carter Beard. 
STORMY PETREL. 
pushed over them, to load with eggs from the 
nests. 
THE FULMAR FAMILY. 
Procellariidae. 
The Fulmars are like so many understudies 
of the Albatrosses; and the Shearwaters bring 
the Tube-Nosed group still nearer to the gulls 
and terns. The habits of all these are very 
much alike. All are strong-flying, mid-ocean 
birds, following ships for miles in order to pick 
up whatever edible food is thrown overboard. 
In one respect they are marine vultures, for 
some of the species make haste to feed upon 
any dead animal found floating on the sea, or 
stranded on the shore. 
No one with eyes ever need cross the Atlantic 
