BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND NOT FIGURED BY BULLER. 
As the data is undoubted and the bird had never before been recorded so far 
south, I asked my friend Dr. Sassi to allow me to bring it to England and have 
it figured. It was collected by Reischeck in Dusky Sound, New Zealand, in 
July, 1884. Another immature example in the same museum from “New 
Holland ” measures : wing 453, tail 114, tarsus 84, cuhnen 99, middle toe and 
claw 111. This skin was bought by John Natterer, the Curator of the Museum, 
in 1835, from Mr. Smith ha London. 
Godrnan quotes Barrett Hamilton : “ These Albatrosses sit high on the 
water, and, unless gorged with food, rise without difficulty, but when preparing 
to fly they walk in the water for a short distance, with their wings extended, 
using then great webbed feet to assist them. In flying, the feet are stretched 
out under the tail, and often protrude beyond it, presenting the appearance 
of two extra long feathers.” 
The following is copied from Bent’s excellent account, ‘as quoted in the 
synonymy :—* 
“ Phcebastria nigripes arrives on Midway Island (28° 13' N. Lat., 
177° 21' W. Long.) early ha November. 
“ Courtship. — The courtship dance of the Layson Albatross ( immutabilis) 
has been fully described by Dr. Walter K. Fisher (1904) and the same curious 
performance is indulged ha by the black-footed species with some variations. 
Doctor Fisher noted the following differences iia the ceremony: ‘ I saw the 
black-footed Albatrosses (D. nigripes) rather seldom engaged in the dance, and 
indeed they impress one as more matter-of-fact creatures. The only difference 
which was observed in the ceremony as carried out by the two species is that 
nigripes spreads its wings slightly (the metacarpus or ‘ hand ’ being folded 
closed) when it lifts its head to utter the nasal song.” 
“ Prof. Homer R. Dill (1912) says that it is similar, but much more elaborate, 
and they go though the figures slowly and gracefully. Instead of lifting one 
wing, they raise both. They are very neighbourly with the other species. We 
often saw them visiting, and on one to two occasions they were trying to perform 
with them, but the rapid pace set by the wioite bird ( immutabilis ) w r as rather too 
much for his more deliberate cousin, and the affair ended disastrously. 
“ According to Dr. Fisher (1904), Dr. Charles H. Gilbert, while cruising 
about a hundred miles off San Diego, Califoi'nia, oia the steamer Albatross, 
saw six black-footed Albatrosses pair off and indulge in tills peculiar dance. 
This was during the latter pail of March, wdaen the adult buds should have been 
on their breeding-grouiads, but these were apparently immature birds. 
“ Nesting. —Doctor Fisher (1906) says of the breeding-habits of this species 
on Layson Islaiad : ‘ The black-footed Albatross is very iaaucla less abamdant 
on Layson than the wdaite species ( immutabilis ). It colonizes the sandy beaches 
98 
