Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-15
CATCHING THE ALBATROss.
The Absence of Fear of Man In This
Great Sea Bird.

The Absence of Fear of Man In This
Great Sea Bird.
From the Cornhill Magazine
BY the time that We had approached iris
tan da Cunha three four species of alba
tross had congregated round the ship. as
many as thirty birds settling on the water
astern in manner highly satisfactory for
close and continuous observation. After
half "a gale of wind lul not infrequently
occurs. when the speed Is reduced to two
or three knots; then the hungry creatures
literally clamor for food. Directly a bird
intends to alight the legs appear straddling
downward in ungainly fashion-a moment
when even an albatross looks like ILL
balanced goose of unwieldy size. For half
minute it runs along the surface of the
waves. treading water. SO to speak, until
the enormous wings become manageable.
Then the bird swims with botn wings
thrown back. like pair of lateen sails,
very Argonaut on the translucent sea. At
length the difficulty is overcome the wings
are packed away, and-like a large gull
II rides the waves with consummate ease.
sometimes Ii paddles to and fro, or, again.
1t dives gracefully beneath the surface
after squids or similar ocean dainties. Half
a dozen birds, perhaps. gravely assemble
to inspect an empty beer bottle thrown
overheard, to bob W. and down idly upon
the waves, and fnquisitive bills peck vigor-
ously at the unsatisfactory flotsam. until
a battle royal disperses the family party.
The wiser ones meanwhile hover in mid
air, craning their necks to throw pene-
trating glances from a superior height.
With the birds settling by the dozen, 1t
Is easy enough to capture specimens for
examination, without causing injury or
pain. Any sharply barbed hook is alto
gether superfuous. The albatrosses abso-
lutely enjoy the excitement, and the sport
obtained is not without a novel interest.
fr nvooa bon h1ar Ia tv, hx.
shape of hollow triangle, attached to
hundred yards of stout line, and kept af1oat
by good-siZed piece of cork. The sides
of the metal frame are then covered with
bits of fat pork. the hard skin of which is
securely bound thereto: the bait Is thrown
astern. and the line is slowly paid out.
Presently great albatross swoops through
the air, impelled by curiosity to investigate
the nature of the floating cork. 1t settles
before the dainty morsel of food. numbers
OF birds follow suit, each one made bold
by competition. and then the sport begins.
AT this moment additional line must be
given in order to compensate for the pro-
erosion of the ship, thus enabling the bird
to seize the desired food. With sudden
rush the supreme effort is made. Once or
twice the attempt proves Intellectual, but,
rendered bold by greediness, final grab
finds the curved bill securely wedged inside
the apex Of the triangle. as the fierce tugs
on tho line quickly Indicate Steadily the
haul is made. hand over hand until a help
less albatrosS is bodily lifted on to the
poop in an absolutely uninjured condition.
A slackened line enables the bird to es-
cape, and If scattered wits permitted such
an effort sudden flight would also obtain
release The other birds invariably COM
mencs to attack a captured comrade, a
steady pull being required, even If the line
friends.
Once safely on deck. the mandibles are
tied together. for otherwise the bird throws
up an oily fluid, disagreeable habit pos
,y-e no trih Gu tot hiS.
caution, it may wander gravely around to
survey the new horizon Of life. The large
eyes gaze with q truly pathetic confidence,
expressive of anything but fear. 1t is
strange spectacle to witness the inquistive
bird soemnly wadlle to and fro among the
equally inQuisitive human beings around.
True, it objects slightly to the process of
measurement, peclling sharply by way of
protest, but gentle box Oh the ear soon
induces submission as the dimensions are
rapidly noted, the albatross meanwhile re-
posing afectionately In the arms of the
second officer. The specimen happens to be
n small one, but the wing expansion from
tip to tip is no less than ten feet: the ex-
IRENE length of body Is three feet six
inches. and the formidable bill measures
upward of four inches Everything about
the great wandering albatross Cd exulans)
is vast-the wings are enormous; the flight
is reckoned by the thousand miles, and its
very nest may be found within the extinct
crater on the adjacent island of Tristan da
Cunha-7,0d0 feet above the sea level. The
plumage varies greatly on different speci-
mems and at different seasons; young ones,
like our friend under observation. having
a mottled brown appearance. The bill has
rosy tinge at the base Of the mandibles,
passing into horn color at the tip of the
curve of the culmen. The head, neck and
body, together with the breasts are prin-
cipally white: the mantle has beautiful pen
cilings of black. The wings are brown
above and white underneath, tipped above
and below with black-an invariable char
acter of the great albatross The tail fs
chiefly white. relieved by blotches Of black.
which give the appearance Of a black bar
edging the white coverts. The legs. feet
and toes have peculiar blush gray. with
suspicion of a livid Dinkish hue somewhat
difficult to define. The black pupils are
bordered with green. 1 found eleven feet
six inches to be the average wing meas
urement, although a gigantic specimen in
the Sydney Museum extends seventeen feet
six inches with a bill six inches long. All
sailors are familiar with the great wander
ing albatross in its varying plumage. While
the young and even second year birds pos
sess every variety of brown celebration. the
really mature ENTHUSIASTICALLY round
the Horn-are nearly pure white. with the
black tips above and below. Most of the
other species are hopelessly confused by
sailors under the general term molly
mauk'' Ca word spelled in divers ways), and
it took me many weeks to distinguish the
different kinds