AUSTRALIAN WANDERING ALBATROS. 
the male spreading his tail after the manner of a turkey-cock. The paroxysm 
would then subside, to be renewed at intervals. Drops of oil oozed out of the 
beaks as they were rubbed together. The clapping of beaks with which the 
performance commenced gave place to a vibratory motion, which seemed to be 
involuntary, like shivering. The sound was a hoUow booming, which gave place 
to a shriek from both birds, similar to that made by the young when alarmed. 
This concluded the performance, which was re-commenced after a short 
interval. The commotion occasioned during this curious display would attract 
other Albatrosses to the scene. These sometimes paired off, and performed 
duets similar to that described. The community would then be joined by others 
which had been flying past, and they alighted among the group not a dozen 
yards from us, and almost unmindful of our presence. In alighting the legs 
and toes are spread. These birds walk laboriously uphill, and often sit down 
as though tired ; they cannot take wing direct, except in the face of a strong 
wind, when they rise almost vertically. Going downhill they run for some 
distance to gain impetus, and use the feet to beat the air, even when actually 
afloat. The tips of the wings only are moved in thus leaving the ground, much 
as though a man moved his fingers with the arms outstretched.” 
Mr. J. A. Mellor tells me this bird is found along the coast of southern 
Austraha, following the steamers to and from the west. He picked up one on 
Henley Beach, St. Vincent’s Gulf, South Australia. 
The type figured is a male, collected off the New South Wales coast. 
For a bird known for such a length of time and with so diverse plumage- 
changes, it has a very clean synonymy. As a matter of fact, it appears due 
to the plumage-changes that it can boast so few synonyms, apparently authors 
preferring to lump different birds in their ignorance rather than name obviously 
different-looking specimens. 
Linne named Diomedea exulans in the tenth edition of his Systeina Naturm 
(p. 132) in 1758, as follows : — 
D. alis pennatis, pedibus tridactylis. Albatros. Edw. av. 88, t. 88. Alb. av. 3, p. 76, 
t. 81. Grew Mus t. 6, f. 1. 
Habitat mtra tropicos Pelagi & ad Cap. b. Spei, aethera altissime scandens ; victitans 
e Triglis volitantibus a Corypbaena exagitatis. 
Statura Pelecani Aquili, naribus ovatis prominulis, non vero linearibus ; cauda 
rotundata brevi nec forficata, Rostrum in hac quadruplo majus. 
Forster, in his monograph of the Albatros (Jfew. Math. PhyS}, Paris, 
Vol. X., p. 569, pi. XIII., 1785), renamed this species Diomedea alhatrus. 
He pointed out that the best generic name would have been Albatros, 
but as custom had used Diomedea, he would prefer the former for the 
species-name. This most interesting paper, the very first monograph of these 
birds, was entirely overlooked for over one hundred and twenty years. 
249 
