786 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
common, both in June and August. Here against the blackish crags the little white specks shone 
out plainly, as on Necker. 
Saunders in the British Museum Catalog does not separate killlitzi from alba. The combined 
distribution of the two forms is given by this author as follows: 
“Fernando Noronha, Trinidad and Martin Vas Islets, Ascension, St. Helena, Madagascar, 
Mascarene Islands and vicinity, Chagos group, Bay of Bengal, Malaysia to Australia, Polynesia to 
Ducie Island, and the Central Pacific generally, up to the Sandwich Islands and Krusenstern Islets.” 
Gygis alba Httlitzi was described by Hartert from the Caroline Islands, and has been determined 
by Rothschild and others to be the form from the Hawaiian group. It is probable that all the birds 
from localities north of the equator belong to this form. Although described as a subspecies, the form 
will probably be found to be a full species, as the presence of intergrading forms seems a little 
improbable. 
DIOMEDEID& 
Diomedea immutabilis. Laysan Albatross; Gony. 
Diomedea immutabilis Rothschild, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, No. ix, 1893, p. xlviii. 
With many ornithologists the word Laysan is so intimately connected with pictures of albatrosses 
that the two have become inseparably associated. Surely no birds can stand out more vividly in our 
memory than these splendid creatures, not alone on account of their great numbers and remarkable 
appearance, but more perhaps from the unusual charm and interest which attaches to their personalities. 
Their large size and striking plumage at once raise them to an exalted place among all sea birds, a 
position similar to that which tradition and fancy have accorded the eagle among birds of the land. 
The Laysan albatross or gony is distributed all over the island, with the single exception of the 
beaches, which on all sides except the west are colonized by the black-footed albatross. The flat 
plain surrounding the lagoon is their favorite habitat, and we found the young here in far the greatest 
numbers. This great colony extended all the way around the lagoon, but certain portions were more 
congested than others. The largest single colony of young is on the south side of the lagoon, where 
the ground has been leveled off in past years by phosphate-rock diggers. Here from a little eminence 
one can look off and see many thousands of birds at a glance, but it would be hazardous to guess how 
many there are on the whole island. At the time of our visit the young were about two-thirds grown, 
the white feathers of the breast and abdomen having in most cases the appearance of the adult, but 
the rest of the body was covered with long brown down, except on the head, where it was short. The 
beaks of the young are dark dirty gray or brownish gray, while those of the adult are light greenish.. 
There seems scarcely a tussock of the grass which covers the greater portion of the slopes of the 
island but has an ungainly young bird ih its shadow ready to snap at the intruder with a show of 
ferocity. These amusing creatures sit on their heels with the whole length of the tarsus on the 
ground or tilted slightly in the air, as shown in the illustration. Their spare time is spent in gazing 
stupidly around, but if their reverie is at all disturbed by one passing too near they fly into an appar- 
ent rage, lean forward and snap their beaks viciously, or sway their uncouth bodies from side to side 
in a frantic attempt to maintain a balance. Sometimes they make a rush, waddling along and darting 
their heads back and forth to the music of clicking mandibles. But they only occasionally come to 
the point of biting, and are always amenable to tact and persuasion. (Figs. 18-21.) 
Usually, after the first paroxysm of snapping is over, one can stroke them with little danger of 
scratched hands. They maintain a small fire of objection, with impotent nips, or try to sidle off. But 
sometimes a youngster is more determined than the rest. It often happens that in an eager rush 
to scare an intruder the young bird stumbles in a petrel’s hole and falls forward with considerable 
force on its chin. In some way nature never meant an albatross’s head to be lower than its stomach, 
or the concussion affects it unpleasantly, for usually it disgorges its breakfast very promptly and 
energetically, but curiously I never saw them do this without first falling over. After such a perform- 
ance the young one looks dejected, for it is usually left hungry, and hunger is its chief trouble. 
The old birds, however, are quite different, and do not seem to mind the presence of man. One 
can walk among them without disturbing their various occupations and amusements in the least. Only 
when suddenly startled do they exhibit any tendency to snap their bills, and then they are easily 
calmed. They back away from any proffered familiarity with great rapidity, unless suddenly hindered 
by a tuft of grass, which event surprises them immoderately. They will not allow themselves to be 
