[Illustration: ALBATROS.]
The fourth large family of Swimming Birds includes the many long-winged
species which are thus named not only because of the great length of
their wings, but for their long and enduring power of flight. Mariners
meet them everywhere, and easily recognize them by their long and
pointed wings, forked tails and short legs. They pass their lives at a
great distance from land, and do not approach the shore except to lay
their eggs and hatch their young. In this family are found the
Albatrosses, the Petrels, Gulls, Skuas, Scissors-bills or Skimmers, and
the Sea Swallows.
The Albatross is the largest and the most bulky of all the Birds which
fly over the surface of the sea. It belongs principally to the southern
hemisphere. The sailors know it under the name of Cape Sheep, which they
give it on account of its enormous size. Its extended wings measure as
much as sixteen feet five inches across. Its plumage is generally white,
with the exception of a dark back.
Courage is not measured by size. This rule holds good in these Birds,
for notwithstanding their wonderful strength and their large, strong,
sharp and hooked bills, they exhibit the most unaccountable cowardice.
Even a poor weak Sea-mew will attack an Albatross, the cowardly giant
finding no better means of getting rid of his enemy than by plunging
into the water. Although they are most gluttonous in taste, they prefer
flight to contending for their food. This consists of marine animals,
Molluscs, and the spawn of Fish. When they are filled to repletion, and
the prey which they have seized is too large to swallow whole, they may
be seen with part of it hanging outside their bill, until the first half
is digested. Thus embarrassed, the Albatross has only one mode of escape
if it happens to be pursued; namely, by disgorging the food with which
its stomach is overloaded.
Gifted with an extraordinary power of flight, these Birds venture out to
enormous distances from land, more especially in stormy weather. They
seem to delight in storms. When overcome with fatigue, they repose on
the surface of the sea, placing their head under their wings. When in
this position they are very easily captured. In order to do this, the
sailors have only to approach silently, and knock them down with a
boat-hook or spear them with a harpoon.
Navigators have opportunities of observing these Birds in the Antarctic
regions, where there is no night at certain seasons of the year, and
they assert that the same flocks may be seen hovering around their
vessel during many successive days without exhibiting the least signs of
exhaustion or the slightest relaxation in their strength. A peculiarity
in their mode of flight is that, whenever they are ascending or
descending, they seldom flap their wings, but fly without an effort.
To follow in the wake of some passing ship, probably because the
agitation of her track brings to the surface the small fry of marine
animals which are their principal food, appears to delight them. They
pounce upon anything that falls overboard, even Man. On one occasion a
sailor fell into the sea from a French vessel, and could not be
immediately rescued because there was no boat in a fit state to be
lowered. A flock of Albatrosses, which followed in the ship’s wake,
pounced upon the unfortunate seaman, and commenced to peck his head.
Being unable to buffet both with the sea and the enemies which
surrounded him, the poor sailor perished before the very eyes of his
comrades.
The Gulls, the Albatrosses and Petrels may be said to be the Vultures of
the ocean—its scavengers; for they cleanse it of all the putrefied
animal substances which float on its surface.
In the autumn the Albatrosses congregate at their favorite
nesting-places. They assemble in immense numbers on the islands in the
South Atlantic Ocean. Their nests, which are about three feet in height,
are formed of mud.
Their flesh is very hard, and can only be rendered eatable by laying it
for a long time in salt, and afterwards boiling it, and flavoring it
with some piquant sauce.
The most remarkable species are the Common Albatross, which frequents
the seas washing the south of Africa; the Sooty Albatross which also
inhabits the seas round the Cape of Good Hope; the Yellow-beaked
Albatross which, like the preceding species, inhabits the seas of the
South Pole.