Smyrna times., 1872-05-15
The Albatross.

About the most interesting deta;Is oonneo,o, i
with the nlbatrOsS which we remember tn have
iedu are those gwen in book entitled "Wan.
uerlhgS IN New South Wales" bv Mr. Ron.
net, and published in 1884 Speaking Of rho
laV"rlte ATTITUDES of these birds, he saws thai
dioatTOs>es were not seen until the shin in
whlrh he was sailing arrived in latitude thirtv
SIX degrees South, longitude five degrees ,iob
Ecu minutes when several species of the
o''u were often seen about the vessel Tbi.
traveller Seemsto have taken an enthusiastic in
.ereSt I'D watching the peculiarities of the alba.
ro>, ana ms notes ON the subject are conse-
qurn'y valuable. Speaking Of their general
appearance, he says:
w hen these elegant birds are "a nturo6 ond
Drought on board, their sleek, delicate. and
cleah pIumage Is subject of much admiration
ana me hne, snow white down which remains
"l'et me removal OF the outer feathers is in re-
quHISl'Uh by ladies Tor muf>, tippetS" &r
A"e spread 0t wing OF the albatro>s in some
'ni'g enormous. The average from tin to Tin
OF the extended wings is from eight to fourteen
leet. have even heard it asserted" saw.
.he he traveller to whom we have lust referred
mat specimens have been shot IF this species
!he extended wings of which measured twenty
'eet across; but the greatest spread | have
seen has been fourteen feet.
n us ~ l. ioItSSOr owen, the largest
aloatro>S IN the British Museum natural his
tory collection woulI present a >n,n. fr( m lin
TO TIP. "f a hundred and TWENTY-FIVE inches f
the wings were fully expanded An albatross
however, IN Sir Ashton Levers museum. is
Sald, accnrdlng to Il similar measurement To
have given thirteen feet.
W hcn >elZlng on object floating on The water
me aihatrOS will gradually descend with ax.
pandtd or upraiScd wings, or sometimes alivht
and float like duck on the water while ,levnnr
ing Us food Then, elevating itself. it SKINS
the surface OF the ocean with expanded wings.
giving frequent lmpulSes-Since the great length
OF It's wings prevents its rising with facility from
u level Surtace-as it runs along for some dis
ta"ce' unuI II aGain scars III mid air and recon-
mence> Its erratlc flight.
The great difficulty of albatro>ses in com.
mencl"g their fiLht is to elevate themselves
from the water. TO effect this object thew
spread their long pinion to the utmost. giving
! mem repeated Impulses aS they run along the
surface OF the water Having by their exer
lohs Raised themselves aiOvc the wave. they
ascend and descend, and cleavc the atmo>phere
IN various directions, without any apnarent
muscular cxertion The EXPLANATION Of his
facility OF flight in the albatroSs is cnrious
he whole surface nt the body in this. as well
as most II not all the oceanic ribcs, is covered
by number 0t alr-crllS, capable of a voluntary
inHation or tiimnution hy mean. of beautiful
muscular apparatus. BY this power the bird.
can raise or depre>s themselves at will, and the
tan and great Length of the wing enable them
TO steer IN any direction. Indeed, without
some provision Of this kind to save muscular
exrrlnn, II wOnld be impossible for these birds
to undergo such long flights without repose as
they have been known to do; for the muscles
to the organs of flight are evi
IDENTIFY inadequate in power to the long dis
!ances they have been known to fy, and the
immense length Of time they remain on the
wing with scarcely a moment 5 cessation.