790 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Bird islands. When not caring for its young it is a wanderer, and the following paragraph from 
Rothschild’s Avifauna of Laysan gives some idea of its extralimital distribution: 
“ D. immutabilis is, as a migrant, widely spread. Mr. Alan Ownston sent me a specimen killed 
on Myiakejima, Japan, in October, 1893 (Bull. B. 0. Club, hi, p. xlvii, June, 1894). In the Museum 
d’Histoire Naturelle, in Paris, I have seen a specimen killed near Hawaii by M. Bailleu. Mr. A. W. 
Anthony found this species near San Geronimo and Guadalupe islands on the coast of Lower Cali- 
fornia, and it is to be suspected that several reports of albatrosses observed on the western coast of 
North America refer to this species, and perhaps also some of the specimens mentioned by Cassin 
(U. S. Expl. Exp., p. 399) might have been I). immutabilis. Certainly the birds mentioned by Pick- 
ering (1. c., p. 401) as being observed between Oahu and the northwest coast of America, and as being 
‘all of a blackish or dark dove-color with a white frontlet or a circle around the base of the bill,’ 
were all D. nigripes and not the young of the white species; but the white birds described on page 
399 could only have been D. immutabilis or D. albalrus” (p. 292). 
About 1,000 miles northeast of Oahu, on the Great Circle route to San Francisco, we saw a white 
albatross, which I feel reasonably sure was this species (August 25). 
Diomedea nigripes. Black-footed Albatross. 
Diomedea nigripes Audubon, Orn. Biog., v, 1869, p. 327. 
The black-footed albatross is very much less abundant on Laysan than the white species. It 
colonizes the sandy beaches on the north, east, and south sides, but is not found, except rarely, on the 
west side. It is likewise common on the sedge-covered slope near the beach, in the same habitat with 
Sula cyanops. On one or two occasions I noted them in the interior with D. immutabilis. 
The habits of this bird are very similar to those of Diomedea immutabilis. They feed their young 
in the same manner, abuse the nestlings of neighbors, and engage in the peculiar performance described 
above. Although very docile in expression, their treatment of the young of neighbor birds is not 
carried on in a mild or playful mood. Their beaks are very powerful, and when they unmercifully 
“wool” the young ones, the jirocess sometimes finishes the victim, for young which appear to have 
been misused are frequently seen lying around dead. 
We saw this species rather seldom engaged in the curious dance, and indeed they impress one as 
more matter-of-fact creatures. The only difference which was noted in the ceremony as carried out 
by the two species is that nigripes spreads its wings slightly (the metacarpus or “hand” being folded 
closed) when it lifts its head to utter its nasal song. 
This species was found on Midway and Lisiansky by Henry Palmer. We saw it also at the French 
Frigate Shoals, and sparingly on Necker and at Bird Island. None were observed at Bird Island on our 
second trip in August. It is seen at sea much more than D. immutabilis, and it followed our ship almost 
continually on the return trip from Laysan. As wanderers these birds were seen in very limited 
numbers in Hawaiian waters, that is, about the Windward Islands. All the birds which follow steamers 
from California leave when within about 500 miles of Oahu, and on our return trip to California they 
joined us about 1,200 miles from San Francisco, and 1,000 from Oahu. All through the night one can 
see them following at a distance, or close at hand, sometimes settling on the water for rest or food. 
As is well known, albatrosses are past masters at soaring or sailing. If the wind is favorable they 
are able to skim over the water for a long time without once flapping their wings. Diomedea nigripes 
is certainly no exception to the general rule, and we had ample opportunity to witness their powers. 
The long, slender wings, with long humeral bones, are eminently fitted for this sort of existence, and 
their construction renders flapping laborious, for in proportion to its size the albatross is not a very 
muscular creature and could not fly a great distance if obliged to do so by wing beats. When a 
stiff breeze is blowing albatrosses can sail only against the wind or with it, and are able to quarter 
a breeze, or go directly across it only for a short distance and when under great momentum. When 
we were steaming directly against the wind the albatrosses had no trouble in following us, and they 
would fly all around the ship without flapping their wings except when the breeze was strong, and 
then they were obliged to give a few vigorous beats when turning up into the wind. When, however, 
our course lay at an angle to the wind, as shown in the accompanying diagram, they followed us by 
sailing in a series of ellipses. They would, in this case, sail directly against the wind, approaching us 
on the starboard quarter, go over the stern a short distance to port, then wheel and scud before the 
breeze perhaps 100 yards off the starboard quarter, when they turned and approached us as before. 
Their speed was so superior to ours that they were able to keep up without any trouble, and their 
