The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-28
VERY POLITE BIRD.
AIbatross Is Constantly Rowing and
 Plays Strange Games.

 From the Washington Times.
 With many ornithologists the word Layson is so intimately connected with pictures of albatrosses that the two have become inseparably associated" says Walter K. Fisher. in the United States Fish Commission Bulletin for 1903. Surely no birds can stand out more vivi- dly in our memory than these splendid creatures, not alone on account of their great numbers and remarkable appear ance, but more. perhaps, from the un- usual charm and interest which attaches to their personalities.
 Their large size and striking plum age at once raises them to an exalted place among all sea birds, position similar to that which tradition and fancy have accorded to the eagle among birds of tho land.
 "The Laysan albatross or gony is dis tributed all over the island, with the single exception of the beaches, which on all sides except the west are colonized by the blackfoot albatross.
 "The flat plan surrounding the lagoon Is their favorite habitat, and I found the young here in the greatest numbers. There seems scarcely a tussock of the grass which covers the greatest portion of the slopes of the island, but has an ungainly young bIrd in it's shadow ready to snap at the intruder with show of | ferocity.
 They have an innate objection to idleness, and consequently seldom stand around doing nothing, but spend much time in a curious performance, the mean ing of which I am at loss to explain.
 ''It has been called courting but as the antics are carried on during the birds residence of about ten months on the island, they are probably an amusement, l in which the albatrosses indulge im- moderately in lieu of other diversons.
 This game, or whatever one may wish | to call it, may have originated in past time during the counting period but 1t certainly has long since lost any such l significance.
 "The proceeding is brief Is as follows: Two albatrosses approach each other lowing profoundly and stepping rather heavily. They circle around each other, nodding solemnly all the time. Next they fence little, crossing bills and whetting them together, pecking meanwhile, and dropping stiff little bows.
 Suddenly one lifts its closed wing and nibbles at the feathers underneath or rarely, if in a hurry merely turns its head and tucks it's bill under it's wing. The other bird during this short per formance assumes a statuesque pose and either looks mechanically from side to side or snaps it's bill loudly few times
 Then the first bird bows once, and pointing its head and beak straight up- ward. rises oD it's toes. puffes out it's breast and utters prolonged nasal groan, the other bird snapping it's bill loudly and rapidly at the same time.
 Sometimes both birds raise their heads in air and either one or both utter the indesoribable and redicuous bovine groan When they have finished they begin lowing at each other again, al- most always rapidly and alternately and presently repeat the performance, the birds reversing their role in the game, CT not.
 ''There Is no hard and fast order to these antics, 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 partakey of the nature Of a snappy drill, and is more or less me- chanical.
 "Occassionally one will lightly pick ur a twig or grass straw and present it to the other. This one does not accept the gift. but thereupon returns the compli- ment, when straws are promptly drop ped and all hands begin lowing and walking about as If their very lives de- pended upon it.
 "If one stands where albatrosses are reasonably abundant, he can see as many as twenty couples hard at worl, lowing and grooming on all sides and paying not the slightest attention to his presence.
 ''When walking through the grassy portion of the island I have seen white heads bobbing up and down above the green as solitary pairs were amusing | themselves away from the larger congre- gations of their kind. If I walked up to them they would stop and gaze in a de- precating way, and walk off. lowing still with one eye in my direction. Having reached what they considered respect ful distance. they would fall to and re- sume their play.
 Should one enter a group of albatros- ses which have been recently engaged In this diversion and begin to bow very low, the bird will sometimes walk around in a puzzled sort of way, lowing in re- turn, curious fact which r. IT. von Kit tlitz recorded as early as 1S34.'
 
 Anecdote of Richard Strauss.