The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-18
BIRDS SEEN AT SEA.
HAVE BEEN ToO LITTLE OBSERVED
BY TRAINED NATURALISTS.

Mother Cnrey's Chickens Are Be
loved by All SaiIors-BOObies Belie
Their Namc-SafIOrs' Names for
Some of the Fcathered Tribe.
Those That Are seen Near the
Shore-The Man-o-N ar or FriGate
Bird Might Better be Called Pr
rate or Buccancer - Those That
Capture Fish and the Way They
Do il.
From the London Spectator.
1t is surely a matter for congratulaton
that the sentiment of mankind toward
what we are pleased to call the lower ami
mails is certainly. if slowly, tending in
the direction of kinder and more merciful
appreciation Of them in nearly all their
varieties as knowledge of them grows
from more to more. As perhaps is but
natural this benevolent feeling is most
strongly marked for birds, those feather
ed Zingari of the air whose bhthe evolu-
tons above are more envied by man than
any other power possessed by the vastly
varied members of the animal kingdom
In obedience 10 the growing demand for
more intimate knowledge of birds and
their habits whole libraries have been
written. and still this literature increases;
but while in this there is nothing TO eavn
at, one cannot help feeling that the mar
velous life Of the sea birds has received
far from adequate attention Like SO
many other denizens OF that vast and
densely populated world of waters, their
inaecessibility has hindered that close OBJ
servation by trained naturalists necessary
in order 10 describe them a. they deserve,
while as yet no marine Richard Jefferies
or White or Selborne has arisen. And
this want is really to be wondered at,
seeing how fascinating is the study of
oceanic fauna, and remembering what a
wealth OF leisure is enjoyed by masters
of sailing ships, which alone afford OPP
portunities for observing the life of the
sea-people
Easily first in point of interest, as we'll
as size. comes the lordly albatross, whose
home os far south of the line, and whose
empire ls that illimitable area of turou-
lent waves which sweep resistless round
the world. Compared with his power Of
vision sailors give all things except a ship
the epicure gender "he'D, the piercing
gaze of the eagle of condor becomes my
opic, unless, as indeed may be the case,
he possesses other senses unknown to us
by means of which he is made aware of
passing events interesting to him as in
credible distances from them. Out of the
blue void he comes unhasting on notion
less pinions yet al such speed that, one
moment a speck hardly observable, turn
but your eyes away, and ere you can again
look round he is gliding majestically over
head Nothing in nature conveys 10 the
mind so wonderful an idea of effortless
velocity as does his calm appearance from
vacancy. Like most of the true pelagic
Of off 1 1n enc
cessful pursuit of fish being impossible
to his majestic evoluuons, His appetite
is enormous, but his powers of abstinence
are equally great, and often for days he
goes without other nourishment than
drink of the bitter sea. AT the Gargan-
tuGn banquet provided by the carcass of
a dead whales he will gorge himself until
his angry scream may be heard as If pro-
testing against his inability to find room
for more provision against hungry days
soon to follow. Despite his Incompatible
grace of flight when gliding through mid
air with his mighty wings outspread,
when ashore or on deck he is clumsy and
i'll at ease. Eeven seated upon the sea lis
proportions appear somewhat ungainly,
while his huge hooked beak seems too
heavy to be upheld. on land he can hard
ly balance himself, and the broad silky
webs of his feet soon become lacerated.
Thus his visits TO the lone and generally
inaccessible rocks which are his breeding
places are as brief as may be, since even
conjugal delights are dearly purchased
with hunger and painful restraint. A true
child of the air, land is hateful to him,
and only on the wing does he appear to be
really at home and easeful
The other members of the aibatross fam
ily, who. with their chief CDiomeda Exul-
ans), are all classed by whalers under the
ugly name of 'gooneys," bear few OF the
majestic characteristics Of their great
head The "mallymoke," which comes
nearest to the albatross in size and beauty,
is actually found north of the line, fact
which sewers this bird very widely from
the albotross in geological range. Also
he is much livelier and more given TO bus
tie fussily about II costs him far less ex-
ertion to rise from the sea for flight than
the unwieldy padding run along the sur
face necessary 10 give sufficient impetus
for raising the huge albatross and conse-
quently his alightings are much more fire.
ouent But he is undoubtedly a beautiful
bird suffering only by comparison with
the most splendid Of all sea fowl. A brown
kind OF albatross, with dirty white beak,
is very much in evidence south OF twenty
degrees south, dropping continually into
the turbulence of a ships wake, and div
ing TO considerable depths after scraps.
Sailors call them Cape hens, for some mis-
~ reason which is never given. Among
southern birds they occupy much the same
quainted with them as does the sparrow
at home. A general favorite among seamen
IS the Cape pigeon, pretty, busy little
sea bird about the size of a dove, but
plUmper, with a black head and an elab-
crate pattern in black, gray and white
upon its open wings. Around the stern
of any passing ship large numbers of these
nutterng visitors hover continually, their
shriu cries and unWearying maneuvers
contrasting pleasantly with the deep mon
otone made by the driving keel through
the foaming sea. In COM
mon with most southern sea birds
having hooked beaks, they are easily
caught with hook and line, but win not
live in captivity. Thoughtless passengers,
wearied with what they call the tedium OF
the voyage, often amuse themselves by
shooting these graceful wanderers, al
though what satisfaction may be found in
reducing a beautiful living thing to use
less morsel Of draggled carrion, is not easy
10 See Occasionally a passing ship finds
herself accompanied for a short time by