Interbreeding of Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses 
Rothschild (The avifauna of Laysan and the 
neighboring islands, p. 292, 1893) recorded a 
single specimen of albatross which he regarded 
as a cross between Diomedea nigripes and D. 
immutabilis. In May, 1945, on Midway Island, 
I noted a nigripes and an immutabilis feeding 
the same partly fledged young. Because of this, 
I made a particular search for further evidence 
of interbreeding when I again visited Midway 
in December, 1946. 
On Eastern Island of Midway on December 
30, 1946, an apparent hybrid was observed for 
40 minutes, and kodachrome pictures were made. 
This bird was nigripes in color except for white 
underparts on the body extending forward to 
the anterior part of the breast. Its behavior, 
however, was like that of immutabilis; the head 
was carried high in walking—not extended for¬ 
ward and low as is customary for nigripes. It was 
standing in a mixed group on a sand dune near 
the beach. 
In two different places on the beach of Sand 
Island, Midway, a nigripes and an immutabilis 
The Poisoning of Bnfo marinus by 
On May 9, 1947, a paralyzed toad, Bufo 
marinus, was picked up beneath a large 
strychnine tree, Strychnos nux-vomica, growing 
on the grounds of the Territorial Board of 
Agriculture and Forestry. This toad would be¬ 
come convulsed, with the fore and hind legs 
stiffly extended in a muscular spasm, whenever 
it attempted to move or was touched. Any 
stimulus above or along the spine was especially 
effective in causing such a spasm. 
The animal was anesthetized by an injection 
of sodium pentobarbital and the stomach dis¬ 
sected out. On opening the stomach, the follow¬ 
ing material was found: one snail, two ants, two 
cockroaches, one small beetle, one small uniden¬ 
tified leaf, and ten flowers of Strychnos nux- 
vomica. 
were present at a single nest isolated from the 
rest of a nigripes colony. In both instances a 
Laysan Albatross was incubating an egg, and 
the Black-footed Albatross was resting along¬ 
side. A subsequent visit to one of the nests 
revealed a nigripes incubating the egg and an 
immutabilis standing near-by. 
Still another mixed pair was observed, on the 
beach on December 31, rubbing the bills together 
and stroking the feathers of the neck. Occa¬ 
sionally one or the other would execute some 
movements of the dance typical of its species, 
but the couple never did perform at the same 
time. No nest was present here. 
It seems likely that interbreeding of these 
species is more frequent than is usually believed. 
This may not be surprising in view of the sim¬ 
ilarity in size, structure, and habits, and the over¬ 
lap of nesting colonies on crowded islands.— 
Harvey 1. Fisher, Department of Zoology and 
Entomology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, 
Hawaii. 
the Flowers of the Strychnine Tree 
It would appear probable, judging both from 
the symptoms and the presence of Strychnos 
nux-vomica flowers in the stomach, that the toad 
was suffering from strychnine poisoning. Arnold 
reports the fatal poisoning of Bufo marinus in 
this fashion and speculates on the reason for 
the ingestion of the Strychnos flowers by the 
toad (Arnold, Harry L., Poisonous plants of 
Hawaii, 71 p., 24 pi. Tongg, Honolulu, 1944). 
It is possible that such ingestion by the toad 
reported here was adventitious while feeding 
upon insects, since the area beneath the strych¬ 
nine tree was thickly carpeted with blossoms 
fallen from it.— Vernon E. Brock, Director, Divi¬ 
sion of Fish and Game, Territorial Board of 
Agriculture and Forestry, Honolulu, Hawaii. 
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