Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-11-19
ALBATR0Sa CAKE WALK.
Pacific Island Birds CoIonfze I'm Large
Numbers and Go Through
Amusing Dances.

Lay d du lSldnu IN tne Hdcluc
ocean. between the Hawaiian group
and Japan, is noted among ornitholo-
gists as the breeding place of IN i'm
mems 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 sige and striking
plumage at once raises them to an ex-
allied place among all sea birds, a 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 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 ham
die, they quickly wax into apparent
rage, lean forward and snap their
beaks v~iciously.
Sometimes they will make a charge,
but they are always amenable to tact
and persuasion.
Frequently when these youngsters
make a 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 its stomach, for
when it so happens that a bird falls
forward up ome 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.
T6o o1J Ls,l, lo,a rs. ;-~oto Oh
lection to ~idleness, and consequently
seldom stand around doing nothing.
Much of their time is spent in a curl
u performance.
1t resembles a 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 a~lbatrosses approach each
other bowling profoundly and stepping
rather heavily. They circle around
each other nudding soleinnly all the
time. Next they fence a 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 its
bill under its wing.
1.-THE other bird during this short
performance assumes a statuesque
pose and either looks mechanically
from side to side or snaps its bill
1n1,11yy a cau tir1nc Than tho frct
bird bows once and pointing it's head
and beak straight upward, rises on its
toes, puffs out its breast and utters a
prolonged nasal groan, the other bird
swapping it's 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
ly 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 I 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 a snappy drill, and is
more or less mechanical"