Nov., 1904 1 
THE CONDOR 
159 
Albatrosses have a habit of maltreating their neighbors’ children, particularly 
just after they have fed their own young and while the latter are still annoying 
them by petitioning for more. I'he old bird having repeated the process shown in 
the illustrations some eight or ten times finds herself pumped quite empty. She 
now pecks back at her nestling, or runs off and trounces some neighboring young, 
provided the parents are absent. Figure 12 shows a black-footed albatross 
{^Diomedea nigripes), a species which lives only on the beaches near the water, 
wooling and mauling a nestling. Its own young is seen at a little distance. 
The albatrosses pursue their varied occupations on Eaysan for ten months of 
each year, and during September and October spread far and wide over the north 
Pacific for a short vacation. 
StiDiford University., California. 
An Early Notice of Philippine Birds 
liV RICHARD C. .MCGRRGOR 
I N the library of the lithnological Survey in Manila is a curious old set of quarto 
volumes containing “A Collection of Voyages and Travels”" to all parts of the 
world, including accounts of shipwrecks, fights with pirates, and other advent- 
ures by land and sea. In the fourth volume is given the narrative of Dr. John 
Careri,* ‘‘A Doctor of the Civil Daw, well provided with Mony to make him accept- 
able in all Parts,” who through crosses at home was led to make a journey round 
the world. He left Italy, his native land, in 1693 and returned in 1699. His 
quaint observations on all manner of things in the countries he visited are enter- 
taining if of no more value. He spent some time in the Philippines during the 
years 1696 and ’97. His account of the birds seems to be worth reproduction as 
containing very early notices of several well known species. The account of the 
birds begins on page 454 as follows: 
“Among the Birds of the Islands the TavoU deserves to have special Mention 
a A 1 Collection 1 of | Voyages and Travels, | Some now first Printed from Original | Manuscripts. \ Others Translated 
out of Foreign Languages, and now | first published in English. | To which are added some few that have formerly ap- | 
pear’d in English, but do now for their Kxcelleiicy | and Scarceness deserve to be Reprinted, [rule] In four Volumes, 
[rule] With a General Pref.^ce, giving an .Account of the NAViGAtio.N, from its first Beginning to the Perfection it is 
now in, &c. [rule] The whole Illustrated with a great Number of Useful Maps and Cuts, all Engraven on Copper, 
[rule] The Authors contain’d in this Volume, see over Leaf, [rule] Vol. IV. [rule] London: | Printed by H. C. for Awn. 
SHAM and John Churchii-l at | the Black-.SwaH in Pater-noster-Row, MUCCIV. Although projected in four volumes 
there were added four more making eight in the set examined. The title pages differ in some of the later volumes. 
6.A Voj’age round the World, by Dr. Francis Gemelli Careri, containing the most remarkable Things in 
Turkey, Persia, India, China, the Philippine-Islands and New Spain. Translated from the Italian. Ipp. 1-605) It is 
not stated where this was first published. Perhaps it was never printed in the original. 
c Megapudius cumingi Dillwyn. Of the family Megapodidae or mound-builders, including 7 genera all confined to 
to the Oriental and Australian Regions. The genus Megapudius, according to Sharpe, contains 17 species, distributed 
from the Mariannes to Austialia. Six species are found in New Guinea, but five of these range to other islands. M. 
cumingi is the only species recognized in the Philippines where it occurs on nearly all the islands. Both from the 
name given and the description of the peculiar nesting habits there is no doubt that our author refers to this bird. 
The bird is very generally called "Taboii,” but "v’’ and “b” being more or less interchangeable in the ‘native dialects 
will account for his calling it "Tavoii.” It has nothing to do with a ‘‘Sea Fowl” as we understand that term. It is 
plainly colored and might be desbribed as black. The neck and legs, however, are not long tho it does have very 
heavy feet and long strong claws. 'I'he description of the nesting habits is accurate enough but the nests are by no 
means always near the water and it is doubtful if anything short of a tidal_ wave would trouble them. The wonderful 
embryology, as described, it is needless to say is a pure fabrication. The tabou probably nests throughout the year, I 
have taken eggs in May and in October. 
