Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-01-29
On an AEbafross's Back.

| L nave made Certain geneial remarks
about tue petres which 80 no. sppg to the
stormy petrol, and suppose, uulssz l epeci-
fy this variety'a Distinguishing characters
tics shall risk being called to account Io
is the only Que thst flies by strokes Of the
wing. 1t hardly ever sligbts u the water,
but treads water on its dispropotionately
long legs, walking or hopping on the water (;
it seldom rises highe- than eight or ten feet
| above the surface, and oldest Thing of all,
l have known stormy petrels alight on the
shib's boom-end at sea and keep up an
agreeable wbistling all night
All the petrels sleep on the wster at night
"a fact often denied. OF the cape, on very
bright, moonlight nights, with the ahip max.
ing good way, if you goto the flying giib-bocm-
end and watch the water you will see Coz.
ems of sleeping BIRDS pass under you, so
sound asleep tnatthey reVer rise, even when
the ship ruDs right into them then they
only swim away a few yards aud go to sleep
again. The birds that appear TO folow
ship continuously for weeks-being kncwr
! by some matk, such as piece of string tied
to the leg or broken feaihsr-prcbaby
rest on the water at night and oVertake the
ship again at very short time after day
light.
All the Southern Ocean birds can be kept
alive for aug length Of time in cold wta5h-
er, and with perfect comfort 10 themselves,
on ships deck. They require some atten.
| tion. but there should be no difficulty about
bringing tho gigantic wondering aibe!rcss
to Europe in g properly cooled comp artment
to carry it through the lr3pics.
| I kept an sloatross for six weeks, giving
| H. hath an 2
| feet up in constantly we! fame! bags to
keep the delicate brace ofthe web from
| iDiury. 1t refused TO eat OF first but over
came its objections by hitting ii on the back
| with pieces of pork Until it snapped 81 them
and getting sice in its mouth it swallow.
ed it from mere force OF habit. killed it
when we reached the topics aad found it
| the fattest alhstro55 ever skinned
| If the wandering albatross wef9 introduc-
ed into our hemisphere it would, indeed. ta
o noble addition 10 cur birds. | can see no
reason why il should not be its lesser CON-
gener thrives well enough.
There is famous story of g man having
kept himself ailoat, after falling overheard,
| until picked up, by seizing hold of an alba
tross that came within reach. There is
| nothing improbable in this. [ have been
overheard with eu abafr0ss myself, and [
found lbs bird quito manageable in the wa.
ter. was oEs day catching cape hens and
molyhawks with fine twine line ant light
nook msde from he1t needle, WREN
large albntroas pumped suddenly down or
nv bait aud was booked before could pre-
yant him The ship Was b6reIy moving
through the water, 80 that l was able, after
a long tms, TO keep him Oh and play the big
bird right up 10 the sterG.
Now came the crsis-wouid my line lift
him ont of the watec? l thought it would.
l raised It's weight gently, pulled cautiously
up-another foot ard | would have baen
able TO grasp the neck. At that momeLt ne
gave wave Of lis wings the extra resist
ance broke the twiue and down be Hoped
! into the water, wings extsnded, but msk'Dg
| 30 effort 10 leave the spot. Fer second or
two he lay still under ne, almost within my
reach end yet free. Off | vent to him,
seized wing in my right hand ard found
myself having regular rough and tumble
with the bird in the water. Il never offer
ed to bite. was able to change hands and
get the struggling brute by the feet with my
right band then, drawing my breast up over
bis TAIL I grabbed the neck with my iett
band. had pretty hard lusale to do this,
| io- the bird was very strong and fought from
under me but when had the neck in my
| left hand let go the feet with my right and
took hold of the right wing clese to the
body. bad only dropped about ten yards
sstern in doing this but now fhe bivd smam
with me on its back, and was able to steer
it after the ship. made great way, over.
hauled the ship, and swam right alongside.
A ropes end was thrown me, and mede
the trd fast, let it 60, and saw it hauled Oh
board swimming with the ship. Atterward
went up the ropes end myself, having ac-
tually caught and mastered an alba.ross in
the water by hand, q feat il bird pursuit tc
be proud of as an oruthOlogst or sailor.
have in calm weather, when birds have
been sitting on the water near, often gone
overheard, dived, and, swimming under the
birds, tried to come up from beneath and
seize them by the feet, but never succeeded.
They always gee you and swim away faster
than you can follow. The feet and under
sides Of them look quite near from below,
but the keeu.sighted birds always keep just
out of each.-Boston Commercial Bulletin