BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND NOT FIGURED BY BULLER. 
white rump and under tail-coverts are characteristic of the fully adult plumage, 
which is certainly not acquired until the second year and probably not complete 
until much later. 
“ Food . —The food of this Albatross consists of whatever edible refuse it 
can pick up from the surface of the sea. It follows vessels persistently for the 
purpose of picking up bits of garbage thrown overboard, over which it often 
quarrels with its neighbour. From a slow-moving sailing vessel it can be 
easily caught with a hook and line, baited with almost any kind of animal 
food ; but we were unable to hook any from our fast-moving revenue cutter, 
although the birds made repeated attempts to seize the bait. It is said by 
Baird, Brewer and Ridgway (1884) to feed largely on ‘ a pelgaic crab.’ 
“ Behaviour . — Doctor Fisher (1906) has described the flight of the species 
so well that I cannot do better than quote his remarks as follows : ‘ As is well 
known. Albatrosses are past masters at soaring or sailing. If the wind is 
favorable they are able to skim over the water for a long time without once 
flapping then' wings. D. nigripes is certainly no exception to the general 
rule, and we had ample opportunity to witness their powers. The long, slender 
wings, with long humeral bones, are eminently fitted for this sort of existence, 
and their construction renders flapping laborious, for in proportion to its size 
the Albatross is not a very muscular creatine and could not fly a great distance 
if obliged to do so by wing-beats. When a stiff breeze is bloving, Albatrosses 
can sail only against the wind or with it, and are able to quarter a breeze, or 
go directly across it, only for a short distance and when under great momentum. 
When we were steaming directly against the wind the Albatrosses had no trouble 
in following us, and they would fly all around the ship without flapping their 
wings except when the breeze was strong, and then they were obliged to give 
a few vigorous beats when turning up into the wind. When, however, our course 
lay at an angle to the wind, they followed us by sailing in a series of ellipses. 
They would, in this case, sail directly against the wind, approaching us on the 
starboard quarter, go over the stern a short distance to port, then wheel and 
scud before the breeze perhaps 100 yards off the starboard quarter, when they 
turned and approached us as before. Their speed was so superior to ours that 
they were able to keep up without any trouble, and them frequent trips astern 
and rapid overhauling again made our cumbersome gait all the more apparent. 
Of course, as they neared the turning-point each time they had to quarter 
the breeze a little and for a moment sail directly across it. 
“ The position in which the wings are held when sailing against or with 
the wind is quite characteristic in either case. When coming against the breeze 
the carpal segment and primaries are bent downwards, as if to catch the wind, 
but when the bird turns and goes with the breeze the ends of the wings are bent 
100 
