New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-01
THE POLITE ALBATROSS.
Boating to His Nate Is His Chef
amusement.

with many ornitholOgists the word Laysan a
so intimately eoPnected with pictures OF abatrdsses
eA@l .ne Two have become inseparably associated
sNSs Wa-teF h Fisher. in the United States Fish
commission Bulletin for 1903 Surely no Sirds
can stand out more wildly in our memory Than
Use sp4ehdid creatures not alone on account OF
tHeT great numbers and remarkable appearances.
ou1 more perhaps, from the unusual charm and
interest Whlch attaches to their personalities Their
large size and striking pIuuaee ar once raisa rhar,
70 an exalted place among all sea birds a position
similar 10 that which tradition and fancy have
ACCORDED the eagle among birds Of the land
Inc Laysan aIbatrOss or gony IS distributed all
over the island. with the single exception OF the
Oeaehes, which on al sides except the west. are
colonized BY the blackfooted albatross 1rhs aat
plain surrounding the lagoon IS their favorts habit
tat ana found the young here in the greatest
Aulnoers- There seems scarcely a tussoclx OF thu
grass which covers the greater portion OF tha
slopes OF the island but has an ungainly yeung
bird IN its shadow ready to snap at the INTRUDER
with a show o. ferocity.
They have an innate objection to fdlenssET ana
consequently seldom stand around doing nofhir,-
out spend much time in curious performance the
meaning or which am at a loss to explain II has
oeen called counting. but the antics are carried
on during the birds residence OF about tan m ,+b-
on the island, they are probably an annuser,sse IN
which the alhatrosses indulge fmmoderateIy IN us,
/ OF other diversion. This game or Vhatever- en-,
may WISH 70 call 1t. may have originated inopsse
time during the counting period but n ,srs.i,l,,
/ mas long since lost any such significance. =
The proceeding in brief Is as follows. Two ana,
trosses approach each other bowling profoundly ana
Steppins rather heavily They circle around each
/ other nodding solemnly ali the time Nev+ ,tba,,
Fence little. crossing bills and Whettinr them to-
gether, pecking meanwhile and droDpino sffrr-litt.
lows suddenly one lifts its closed wing trnih-
pies at the feathers underneath or rarely II IN a
nuETy' merely turns its head and tucks its bill rr-
UeF us wing The other bird during this short
performance assumes a statuesque rose and either
looks mechanically from side TO side or snare t,u
Dill loudly a few times. Then the first bird ,hou-q
once, ana pointing its head and beak straight up-
"To rises on its toes. pufs out its breast and Ut
Iers prolonged nasal groan the other bird snan-
4 ping its bill loudly and rapidly at the same time
Sometimes both birds raise their heads IN air
ana eltner one or both utter the indescribabIe and
| RIDICULOUS bovine sroan. When they have missed
| they begin boWtng at each other again 7lr1-ss
| always rapidly and alternately and nressnfts, i
peat the performance. the birds reversfns ~ +
| role IN the game. not There IS no bard- A. 4
| 1asI order to these antics but many variat o. b
occur The majority Of cases. however follow r1
sequence I have indicated. Sometimes three q o.
gage in the play, dividing its attention between
Two. Iney are always most polite. never Iosiu-
their temper or offering any violence. The whole
aIalE partakes OF the nature Of snappy driIl aud
/ is more or less mechanical
| Occasionally one will lightly pick I'd a TIVE N.
grass straw and present it to the other This 81 O.
does not accept the gift. however. but thersGpo1
returns the compliment. when straws are promptly
I dropped and all hands begin bowling and Ma ~
about as II their very lives depended upor n If
one stands where albatrosses are reasonably abun-
cant. he can see as many twenty couples IA I'd
at work bowling and grOaning on all sides ana
paying not the slightest attention to his presence.
, When walking through the grassy portion r the
I island have seen white heads bob6ing up ana
down above the green as solitary pairs were anus
Ing themselves away from the larger congrsgafios=
OF their kind II walked Up to them they would
stop and gaze in a deDrecatng way. and wals or
bowling still. with one eye in my direction Having
reached what they considered respectful Distance
they would fall TO and resume their play
Should one enter group OF albatrosses which
have been recently engaged in this diversions and
begin to bow very low. the birds VIII soneEInles
walk around in a puzzled sort OF way hoWane in
/ return. curious fact which F. H Won EittIits
/ recorded early 1854