200 
hills, Mount Honey (1866 feet), amidst hundreds of nests of the Albatros, surrounded by nothing 
save the unvarying tussock fern and ti-tree scrub. We came on the first Albatros at about 800 feet 
above sea-level, and after reaching the crown of the hill, 1000 feet, found them sitting in their nests 
and flying aborxt close to the ground in hundreds. The Albatros apparently lays but one egg each 
year, but one of the party found two nests containing two eggs each. It was suggested that this was 
only a freak of nature, although it is known that the Gannet of New Zealand lays two eggs, one of 
which is hatched by the male bird. All up the sides of the hill wild parsley was growing luxuriantly, 
often two feet high, Avhile everlasting daisy clothed the ground like a carpet. The cotton-wood plant 
in full bloom w'as also plentiful. As the top (1866 feet) is reached, this variety of vegetation ends and 
travelling becomes easier, as there is no growth to impede progress, but diminutive tussock among 
which are the Albatros nests and their tenants. These nests are built up of moss and earth about 
four inches above the surface of the ground. The material to form the nest is so taken from the soil 
as to leave a trench all round it, and this keeps things dry for the important object in view. The 
female never leaves the nest during incubation, a period of about sixty days, and is fed by her consort, 
who faithfully hunts for food for both. If by chance the nest is left unguarded for a single moment 
the Sea-Hawk, which is here in thousands, pounces upon the egg and ‘ love’s labour’s lost,’ at least 
so far as the Albatros is concerned. The Albatros is a stupid bird, for it will sit, whether hatching 
or not, till you tumble it head over heels with your foot. At the same time it will resent such liberty, 
and, if it succeeds in getting a hold, it will take the piece out of trousers, hose, and skin. They are 
very strong birds. The best way to catch one is to make a feint at his head with the left hand, which 
distracts the bird’s attention, and then quickly seize it by the bill with the right ; but be sure you get 
the grip, as they turn very quickly, and would snap your fingers off if they got the proper hold. They 
build on the flat plateaus of the hills; and so far as we have seen, never lower down than 700 feet 
from sea-level. At Antipodes Island, on Tuesday, January 31st, the day broke beautifully and the bay 
was like a mirror, but the glass was still low : as the day advanced w^e were enveloped for half an hour 
in one of those dense mists characteristic of this locality, and when it passed the hills were covered 
with snow. The height of the island is marked on the chart at 600 feet, but this is an error, as the 
principal hill. Mount Galloway, is 1200 feet above the sea-level. From seaward this hill looks conical 
or dome-shaped, but on reaching the summit a beautiful clear lake covering an area of thirteen or 
fourteen acres is found — a lake which a little later in the season than the time of our visit is much 
frequented by the Albatros, being virtually surrounded by thousands of their nests. 
“We moved on northwards (Stexvart Island) and came upon a perfect cemetery of dead Penguins 
lying rotting amidst black sand — thousands upon thousands — evidently cut off by some epidemic.” 
Mr. W. Dougall’s principal object in visiting these islands was to obtain photographs, and he 
brought back with him a beautiful series of instantaneous views, some of them exhibiting most 
interesting groups of Albatroses and Penguins, in every condition of growth, on their nesting-ground. 
I have in my possession a set of these photographs (which may be obtained by purchase from 
Mr. C. R. J oplin, 4 Blackfriars Street, Stamford), and I have selected for reproduction one of them 
showing a group of these birds among the rocks in their island sanctuary. (See p. 293.) 
In the Otago Museum there are two eggs of this Albatros (collected in November), the larger 
of which measures 4‘3 inches in length by 2-2 in breadth ; they are creamy white, irregularly marked 
or blotted with surface-spots of yellowish brown. The smaller of the two specimens presents more 
distinct blots in its middle portion, and has its larger pole studded with spots presenting a reddish- 
brown surface. 
