The Somerset reporter., 1896-07-16
CARRY THEIR EGGS.
LARGE BIRDS DISCOVERED BY Ex.
PlOReRS THAT DO THIS.

The Nest of the Aibatross and Some 9th.
ers Is Where They Sit Down-An Island
In the Antarctic Regions-The Expe-
rience of Audubon.
Some time ago a small party of ex-
plorers landed on one Of the apparently
barren islands just on The borders Of the
antarctic regions and found il inhabited
by IL remarkable colony of birds that
ranged from large Mother Carey like
birds to penguins Of all kinds and de-
grces Inc island WIS fairly covered
with the featheredA inhabitants, and, as
the boat ran on to ~ ek fhatapparcntly
afforded landing tile birds. instead of
moving away, seemed determined to
resent the intrusion and stood their
ground, viciously attacking the men,
who, though they knocked the birds
aside with clubs and oars. made no APP
preciable inroad upon their numbers.
The party then formed compact
body, and, armed With boathooks to
push the shrieking thrang aside moved
up what apparently Ms IA street here
and there dotted with singular stool
like objects about 5 feet in width,
larger at the top. THIS were the nests
of the albatroSs, and, Is The men were
especially DESTROYS of obtaining a set of
eggs, they observed the nests very care
fully, but in every instance the bird
when approached shutfled clumsily
away, and no eggs We're found, though
the birds were supposed to be sitting
upon them.
Finally nest was found containing
an egg, but just as the men drew near
the bird alghted and took her place
upon it, eying them With suspicion and
uttering a curious half kissing sound
They watched her for few moments
and then forced her from the nest, when,
to their amazemcnt the egg had disap-
peared as completely as though it had
been swallowed up. The nest was ex-
amined closely and finally torn apart,
the men thinking that possibly the egg
might have slipped into II in some mys-
FERROUS way, but without success.
One of the party ATTEMPTED to catch
an albatross and while he was follow
the stubble an egg suddenly appeared,
dropped by the running bird, which had
all the time been carrying it, not under
her wing, AS she is supposed to do at sea
by superstitious sailors, but in pccul-
lar sack i'll the skin provided by nature
for this very purpose.
The albatross is famed for its power
of flight, following vessels hundreds of
miles. Yet when nesting 1t apparently
forgets that it has wings. rs 1t can be
handled and pushed about i'll the nest.
making no attempt II fly or move un-
less driven away by blows This may
be due to the fact that the egg is held
in the curious sack and the bird in
stinctively knows that it cannot fly off
with it; so it resists.
This sly bird is called the molly
mauk And its cousin, the great alba
tross, has a similar habit, the egg,
which Is five inches in length, almost
as large as that of a swan, being held
i'll a perfect incubating pouch.
On Marion island the explorers found
the great king penguin-a bird which
stands half as high as man, with its
Dill pointing alrectly upward instead Oh
out, as with other birds As they landed
and approached the singular creatures,
Whlch haa o''h standing about they
hoppea away SLOWLY put not an egg
could be found Il SET OF Whleh was the
object of the visit.
Inc pifas Ill ii peculiaf movement
instead 9i walking ana moving one loot
ait'f ine olll't' OF aiefhalelY' 'heS
heId them eioS' toSelhef ald hopp'd'
Inns 'Nsl''" WV I"uSh''l VI 'i' me-
VINO Ai"i1S 'oPln'u Il oii3l over "h'l'=
upon iile egg roIl'u out upon the SAND.
lil' hins u hEu'I Mis- "so an 'S2
carrier, hol only I''lalhg II Nhll' stand
lh9 9lill ou! garry ING 1ile Dig eEE ABOUT
Win IL ny pide'hE IL III pouch lor me
PURPOSE h'ldinH ~ III WIN ll' BROAD
Nepoeo ~ '"'' arr h,s2e cio''lS 10
E''hei' iitS ~ lI'"ili't 'iie curious 1T =
ping lh2tolt u 'n'' oltas' Us lh'y could
no' now 'le'I H'' "lehoue dropping
the egg pal 'ii' moment one Was l"fred
10 give UP ','' pIi"' II ran away using
ooaIi l'51' INK "iuIu"lY pIfas'
1iis i'ilii'lN,'nIc iapl1 does away with
the necessity q H'a'' as me piI'i car
RES us egg MIN 1t rs IL moves ABOUT.
III theSe instances me pres rarely trans
port 'lie egg to great ais'aiice' i ull-
uls'uioe"' my Pio"doiy remain ABOUT