Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-12-04
ALBaTRo5s CAKE WALK.
Numbers and Go Through
Amusing Dances.

Laysan, an island in the Pacific
ocean, between the Hawaiian group
and Japan, is noted among ornitholo-,
gists as the breeding place of an i'm
mense colony of sea birds.
Especially is it known as the home
of the albatross, than which no bird
stands out more wildly in memory.
Their large size and striking
plumage at once raises them to an ex-
allied place among all sea birds, po-
sition similar to that which tradition
and fancy have accorded the eagle
among birds of the land.
At the time of the visit of the gov
eminent expedition to that remote
spot some few months more than
year ago, for the purpose of studying
sea bird life, the young of the al
batross colony were about two-thirds
grown. says an eastern exchange
The time was March. The white
feathers of the breast and abdomen
looked like those on the adult bird.
The rest of the body was covered with
a long brownish down, except on the
head, where it was short.
These young birds appear to be
very stupid, and their spare time is
spent in gazing .aimlessly around
They do not appear to be afraid OF
man, but if their reverie is disturbed
by close approach, or attempt to han
die, they quickly wax into apparent
rage, lean forward and snap their
beaks viciously.
Sometimes they will make a charge
but they are always amenable to tact
and persuasion.
Frequently when these youngsters
make portentous rush to scare away
an intruder they stumble and fall for
ward. 1t seems that nature never in
tended that an albatross' head should
get lower down than it's stomach. for
when it so happens that a bird falls
forward up comes its last banquet, and
when this happens the young bird
looks detected and desperately hungry
The old birds do not mind the pres
ence of man at all. 1t is only when
suddenly startled that they display
temper by swapping their bills, but
they are easily Gained, and with men
mingling among them they will &C
about their household duties and
amusements without noticing the
strangers. They will not, however, al
low themselves to be handled
The old birds have an innate OBJ
lection to idlenesS, and consequently
seldom stand around doing nothing
Much of their time Is spent in a curl
Gus performance.
1t resembles cake walk. The orni-
biologist who made the study for the
United States fish commission thus de-
scribes the dance of the birds:
1.-TWO albatrosses approach each
other bowling profoundly and stepping
rather heavily They circle around
each other nodding solemnly all the
time. Next they fence little. cross
ing bills, and whetting them together.
pecking meanwhile and dropping stiff
little bows. Suddenly one lifts its
closed wing and nibbles at the feath-
ers underneath or rarely, if in a hurry,
merely turns it's head and tucks it's
bill under it's wing.
THE other bird during this short
performance assumes StatueSque
pose and either looks mechanically
from side to side or snaps it's bill
loudly a few times. Then the first
bird bows once and pointing its head
and beak straight upward, rises ON its
toes. puffs out it's breast and utters a
prolonged nasal groan, the other bird
swapping its bill loudly and rapidly at
the same time.
Sometimes both birds raise their
heads in the air and either one or
both utter the indescribable and ri
diculously bovine groan. When they
have finished. they begin bowling at
each other again, almost always rapid
~ and alternately, and presently re-
peat the performance. the birds re-
versing their role in the game, or not.
There is no hard and fast order to
these antics, which the seamen of the
Albatross rather aptly called a cake
walk but many variations occur.
The majority of cases, however, follow
the sequence 1 have indicated. Some
times three engage in the play, one
dividing it's attention between two.
They are always most polite, never
losing their temper or offering any
violence The whole affair partakes
of the nature of snappy drill, and is
more or less mechanical"
Stable Farm,