788 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
their groans and bill-snappings was audible above the continual thin, high squeak of young albatrosses 
and the moans and caterwauling of shearwaters and petrels. During some quieter spell in the activi- 
ties of the vocalists far-away groans were borne to us across the placid lagoon, as a reminder that in 
other parts the good work was still going on. By this time many of the "albatrosses had started off 
fishing, as they seem to do a large part of it after dark, probably toward morning. 
It is interesting to note that the antics which have just been described are not limited to this 
species, but, in a modified form, qre practiced by Diomcdea nigripes, and are mentioned also by Roths- 
child and Hartert« in connection with Diomedea irrorata Salvin. Probably all species of the genus 
exhibit the trait in some form. 
After sunrise the albatrosses begin to feed the young. The old bird, coming in from the sea, 
alights near her offspring, which immediately takes the initiative by waddling up and pecking or biting 
gently at her beak. This petitioning always takes place and perhaps acts as some sort of stimulus, for 
in a few moments the mother stands up, and with head lowered and wings held loosely at the side 
disgorges a mass of squids and oil. Just as she opens her beak the young inserts its own crosswise and 
skillfully catches every morsel, which it bolts with evident relish. This operation I saw repeated, 
with short intermissions, ten times. The last two or three ejections of this oily pabulum cost the 
albatross considerable muscular effort, and the last time nothing came up but a little oil, and stomach 
juices presumably. The young bird is not at all modest in its demands, but keeps asking for more. 
The old bird now pecks back in an annoyed manner, and if the other still urges, she arises and walks 
off, usually to some neighboring young one, which she viciously mauls about the neck. This exhibition 
usually takes place just before she feeds her young and likewise between courses, as it were. Why 
she does this I am at a loss to suggest, unless it be mere ill-will. The old bird does not always confine 
this ill treatment to one strange young bird, hut takes in a circle of those whose parents are absent. 
The young thus rudely treated sometimes bite back, but usually do not offer resistance, uttering 
instead a plaintive little squeak. A small mortality is the result of this practice. Dr. Gilbert observed 
that Diomedea nigripes is more savage than the white species. He saw a black-footed albatross thus 
take in a circle of about twenty young immutabilis and “wool” them soundly. Finally, however, the 
ruffian arrived at a youngster whose parent, being unexpectedly near by, set upon the persecutor, and 
in the scrimmage nigripes was put to rout. (Figs. 22-24.) 
Near the forms or nests one not infrequently finds solid pellets — disgorged by the young in all 
probability, and by old birds too — consisting entirely of squid beaks and opaque lenses of the eyes. 
These lenses become very brittle and amber like under the action of stomach juices and show a con- 
centric structure. Candle nuts, the large seed of Aleurites molluccana, were'found by Mr. Snyder in the 
interior of the island and were almost undoubtedly ejected "by albatrosses. As is well known, 
albatrosses pick up all sorts of floating material, and candle nuts are frequently seen on the ocean, 
having been swept seaward by mountain streams. The nearest trees are on Kauai, about 700 miles 
east. This suggests a means by which many hard, floating seeds might be carried into the interior of 
islands by albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, and frigate birds, and thus obtain a foothold, whereas if 
swept ashore on barren rocks or beaches they would stand little chance of ever germinating. 
The white albatross or gony lays one egg, on the ground or frequently in a slightly raised 
mound with a shallow basin in the top. We saw numbers of these “forms,” almost worn out by the 
young birds. According to Mr. Schlemmer, the egg is laid about the middle of November. We were 
of course out of season to secure any, although we saw numerous spoiled ones half buried in the sand. 
Rothschild 6 describes them as follows: 
‘ 1 1 have received a series of eight eggs of I), immutabilis , which vary very much both in shape and 
coloration. The two extremes are as follows: 
“1. Very elongate; length 111.5 mm.; width 62.5 mm.; ground color dirty white, marked with 
numerous large and small blotches of a brownish-maroon color, which are principally massed at the 
two ends, though there are a few in the central zone. 
“2. Very thick and short; length 100 mm.; width 70; color, uniform brownish buff without any 
markings whatever. 
1 ‘ The majority of specimens before me are dirty white with irregular patches and spots of brownish- 
maroon at the larger end.” 
: Novitates Zoologicse, vi, 1899, p. 125. 
J> Avifauna of Laysan, etc., p. 291. 
