AUSTRALIAN WANDERING ALBATROS. 
the outer one ; inner web of outer tail-feathers white with the exception of a little 
mottling at the tip, middle feathers dark brown with white bases ; crown of head 
mottled with the remains of brown feathers ; forehead, sides of face, throat and 
under-surface white, with the exception of the fore-neck and sides of body, which 
are crossed by wavy bars of ash-brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries 
white, hke the under surface of the body ; some of the latter are dark brown on 
the outer webs, and vermiculated vath ash-brown on the inner ones ; “ Irides 
rich dark brown ; bare eyehds purphsh-green* ; bill white, with a pinky tinge, 
yellowish-brown coloured at the tip ; legs and feet flesh white, sometimes with a 
pinky tinge ” (BuUer). Total length 1,368 mm. ; exposed portion of cuhnen 165, 
wing 633, tail 204, tarsus 121. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 
Immature male. Upper-parts brown, paler on the head, neck and mantle, darker on the 
back, scapulars, rump, upper tail-coverts and tail ; the feathers of the head and 
hind-neck are white tipped with brown, while those of the mantle, though similar in 
colour, are everywhere intermixed with white feathers finely vermiculated with 
brown ; the wing-feathers are similar to the adult male described, but the white 
olecranal patch is absent ; tail very dark brown, white only at the extreme base ; 
forehead, sides of face, and throat white ; remainder of under-surface brown and 
white, many of the feathers are brown with white bases, more particularly on the 
sides of the body and lower abdomen, while others are white vermiculated with 
brown at the tips, more especially on the fore-neck and breast ; the under wing- 
coverts are white, and the axillaries are similar to those of the adult. 
Nestling. Covered with fight or slate-grey, fighter on the head. 
Nest. “ A cone-shaped structure composed of earth and grass cemented together. 
Usually about 2 feet in diameter, and about 18 inches high.” (Reischek.) 
Egg. Clutch, one ; surface rough and glossless ; white, but mostly nest-stained ; axis 
122 mm., diameter 78. 
Breeding-season. January (Reischek, Auckland Island) ; February (BuUer, Auckland 
Island) ; February (Reischek, Antipodes Island). 
Incubation period. Nine weeks (Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway). 
In life these birds have, on each side of the nape, a roseate-pink patch which 
fades away entirely after death. 
Bullerf says : “ The young of this species does not leave the breeding- 
ground tiU their parents return to refit their nests for another brood ” ; and 
continues : “ The fact is that when the young are left in the nest at the close 
of the breeding season, they are so immensely fat that they can subsist for 
months without food of any kind.” 
Mr. ReischekJ observes : “Its power of flight surpasses that of most 
birds, and is easily accounted for b}^ the unusual development of the muscles 
of the breast and wings, the latter being equal to, if not stronger, than those 
of the eagle. It is worthy of remark that the quills of the wing are spread 
or brought close together according as the bird is rising or falling in its flight. 
*In the Plate, the eye-lid is wrongly painted red. 
t Trans. New Zeal. Inst. 1890, Vol. XXIII., p. 233, 1891. 
t ib. 1888, Vol. XXI., p. 126, 1889. 
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