Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-12-09
ALBATRoss 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 a
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 Write
| 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. It seems that nature never in
tended that an albatross' head should
get lower down than it's stomach, for
when it so happens that bird falls
forward up comes it's 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 go
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 curl
Gus performance.
|; Ii resembles cake walk. The orni-
| A.. -.
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
s pecking meanwhile and dropping stiff
{ little bows. Suddenly one lifts its
closed wing and nibbles at the feath-
( ers underneath or rarely, If in hurry
l. merely turns it's head and tucks its
} bill under it's wing.
l. THE other bird during this shor
| performance assumes a statuesqut
{ pose and either looks mechanically
I from side to side or snaps it's bill
{ loudly few times. Then the frs
81 bird bows once and pointing it's heat
u and beak straight upward, rises on it
Ii toes, puffs out it's breast and utters
A prolonged nasal groan, the other birt
= swapping its bill loudly and rapidly a
J. the same time.
L There is no hard and fast order t,
q these antics, which the seamen of TIL
IL Albatross rather aptly called cake
y walk but many variations occur
d The majority of cases, however, follow
Il the sequence 1 have indicated. Some
L times three engage in the play. on
Il dividing it's attention between two.
I6 They are always most polite, neve
lt losing their temper or offering an
n violence. The whole affair partaSe
II Of the nature Of snappy drill. and i
more or less mechanical"