864 
BIRD-LIFE. 
the nest consisted of a heap of earth, into which dry grass 
and leaves were kneaded: it is six feet in circumference, 
more than two feet wide at the top, and about eighteen 
inches high. In over one hundred nests which this 
naturalist examined he never found more than one egg in 
each nest, with but one exception, on which occasion there 
were two. The eggs are about five inches long, by more 
than three inches in breadth, and white in colour. The 
Albatross may often be seen sleeping with its head under 
its wing while in the act of incubating; otherwise the 
beautiful white head is visible above the grass at a 
considerable distance. On the approach of an enemy the 
bird defends its egg, and will not abandon the nest 
until forced so to do, when it waddles away for a short 
distance as lazily as a Penguin, without attempting to fly 
away. The greatest enemy of the Albatross is an impu¬ 
dent species of Skua, who, as soon as it rises from the 
nest, darts down and devours the egg. The Albatross is 
well acquainted with this enemy, and, on observing him, 
snaps vehemently with the beak. Earle says that the 
young cannot fly until they are a year old. Gould 
doubts the correctness of this statement, although he 
does believe that a long time must elapse before the 
young bird becomes sufficiently developed to bear up the 
weight of its heavy body upon outspread pinions. The 
supposition, however, that the young do not leave the 
nest till the breeding season comes round again, does not 
altogether seem so preposterous, for young birds and eggs 
have never been met with at the same time. 
Gould caught Albatrosses for the purpose of satisfying 
himself whether one and the same bird would follow the 
ship for days together. He found that the act of catching 
these birds could cause them but little pain, as when he 
