The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01
CATCHING THE kLBATR0SS.
Absence of Fear Of Man in the
Makeup Of the Great Seabird.

By the time that We had approached
Tristan da Cunha three or four species of
aloatross had congresated round the ship.
as many as thirty birds settling on the wa
ter astern In a manner highly satisfactory
FOR close and continuous observation. After
half gale OF wind lull net infrequently
occurs. when the speed Is reduced TO two
H Or three knots knots; then the hungry creatures
intends to alight the legs appear straddling
downward in ungainly fashions moment
when even an albatross looks like an III
minute il runs along the surface OF the
waves. treading water, 80 to speak, until
the enormous wings become manageable.
thrown back. like a pair of lantern sails, a
very Argonaut on the translucent sea. AT
length the difficulty is overcome, the wings
are packed away. and. Ike a large gull, 1t
rides the wave, with consummate ease.
Sometimss It paddles to and fro. or. again,
It dives gracefully beneath the surface aft
Dozen birds. pelhaps. gravely assemble to
inspect an empty beer bottle thrown over
board. to bob up and down idly upon tho
at the unsatisfactory fotsam, until a bat
tle royal dispenses the family party. The
wiser ones meanwhile hover in midair,
craDing their necks TO throw penetrating
slances from q superior height
With the birds settling by the dozen. It is
easy enough TO capture specimens for ex-
animation without causing injury or pain.
Any sharply barbed hook is altogether su-
perfiuous. The Elbatrosses absolutely enjoy
the excitement. and the sport obtained is not
frame should T Be- MADE in the f% shape meta Of
hollow triangle, attached TO hundred
yards OF stout line. and kept af,oat by a
metal sps Il then H, BITS 81 the
fat pork, the hard skin Of which Is securely
bound thereto: the bait Is thrown astsrn
and the line is SLOWLY paid out
through the air. .fnpelled by curiosity to in
vestigats the nature OF the floating pork.
II settles before the dainty morsel Of food,
bold by the competition. and then the sport
begins, At this moment additional line
must be given In order to compensate fer
the bird to seize the desired food With
sudden rush the supreme effort Is made,
Once or twice the attempt proves Intellectual
grab finds the curved bin securely wedged
inside the apex Of the triangle. as the fierce
tags on the line quickly Indicate. Steadily
helpless albatross Is bodily lifted on to tho
poop in an absolutely uninjured condition.
A slackened line enables the bird to escape.
and IL scattered wits permitted such an ef-
fort sudden flight would also obtain release.
The other birds invariably commence to at.
tack a captured comrade. e. steady pull
your hands. TO save It from its friends.
Once safely on deck the mandibles are
TIED together, i, FER Otherwise the bro throws
sessed by all the tribe. Subject to this RE-
II may wander gravely around to
survey tho now horizon of life. The large
expressive OF anything but fear. II ,s
strange spectacle TO witness the inQuisitive
bird soleinnly waddle to and fro among
True. II objects slightly to the process OF
peckins SHARPLY by way of
protest. bu, a gentle box on the ear soon
Induces submission as the dimensions ire
rapidly noted, the slbatross meanwhile re-
posing affectionateiy in the arms OF the
second officer. The specimen happens to be
tip to tip Is no less than ten feet: the ex-
treme length OF body is three feet six
inches, and the formidable bill measures
upward OF four inches.
Everything about the great wandering al
batross ID. exulans) is vast-tbe wings gre
enormous; the flight Is reckoned by the
found within the extinct crater on the ad-
accent island of Tristan da Cunha. 1000 feet
above the sea level. The plumage varies
greatly on different specimens. and at diff
erent seasons, young ones. like our friend
under observation. having q notified brown
appearance.
the mandibles. passing into horn color at
the tip of the curve Of the culmen. The
head. neck and body. together with the
has beautiful penciiings of black The wings
arc brown above and white underneath,
tipped above and below with black-an IN
The tail is chiefly white relieved by
olotches of black which give the appear
ance of a black bar edging the white COW
erts. The legs, feet and toes have a Pc
,ullar blush gray. with a suspicion Of a |
ivid pinkish hue somewhat difficult to de- |
Inc. The black pupils are bordered with |
green. i found II feet inches to DO the \
average wing measurement. although a gil |
,antic specimen IN the sydney museum ex- !
ends IL feet inches. with bill inches i
ong. All sailors are familiar with the great .
albatross in its varying plum !
ige. While the young and even second |
'ear birds possess every variety of brown 1
'oioratfon. the really mature specimens, es- |
'ec!aily round the Horn. are nearly pure /
white. with the black tips above and below. |
Host OF the other species are hopelessly
confused by sailors under the general term
'mollymauk" "a word spelled In divers |
yaysi anc II took me many weeks to dis
inguish the different kinds.-London Corn /
,in