46 THE LIVING ANIMALS OL THE WORLD 
Rothschild. They are from his book on the avifauna 
of Laysan Island, in the North Pacific. Unfortu- 
nately for the albatrosses and other birds, traders 
have been attracted to Laysan for the sake of the 
guano deposits. The birds were strictly protected 
during the occupation of Mr. Preece, but when he 
left they had no friend to shield them, and their 
eggs were taken in cart-loads, as the accompanying 
photograph shows. 
When an albatross makes love. Professor Moseley 
tells us, he stands “ by the female on the nest, 
raises his wings, spreads his tail and elevates it, 
throws up his head with the bill in the air, or 
stretches it straight out forwards as far as he can, 
and then utters a curious cry. . . . Whilst uttering 
the cry the bird sways his neck up and down. The 
female responds with a similar note, and they bring 
the tips of their bills lovingly together. This sort 
of thing goes on for half an hour or so at a time.” 
There are several different kinds of albatross. 
The largest measures over 1 1 feet across the out- 
stretched wings. They are inhabitants of the southern 
seas. 
After the Albatrosses, the largest bird of the 
group is the Gi.VNT Petrel. The sailors call 
it “ Break-bones,” “Nelly,” or “ Stinker.” In habits 
it differs much from its aristocratic relative the 
albatross, haunting the coasts In search of dead seals and whales, and the bodies of other 
birds. Professor Moseley aptly 
likens it to the vulture : “ It 
soars all day along the coast 
on the look-out for food. No 
sooner is an animal killed 
than numbers appear as if 
by magic, and the birds are 
evidently well acquainted with 
the usual proceedings of 
sealers, who kill the sea- 
elephant, take off the skin 
and blubber, and leave the 
carcase. The birds gorge 
themselves with food, just like 
the vultures, and are then 
unable to fly. I came across 
half a dozen at Christmas 
Harbour in this condition. 
We landed just opposite 
them ; they began to run to 
get out of the way. The 
men chased them ; they ran 
off, spreading tireir wings, but CARTING ALBATROSS EGGS ON THE ISLAND OF LAYSAN 
unable to rise. Some struggled At one nme these Birds ivere protected; as this photograph testifies, this is no longer the case 
WHITE-CAPPED ALBATROSS ON EGG 
Professor Moseley describes the egg of the albatross as being 
held in a sort of pouch 
