. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . ge to swallow whole, they maybe seen with part of it hanging outside their bill, until the first halfis digested. Thus embarrassed, the Albatross has only one mode ofescape if it happens to be pursued; namely, by disgorging the foodwith which its stomach is overloaded. Gifted with an extraordinary power of flight, these birds ventureout to enormous distances from land, more especially in stormyweather. They seem to delight in the warring of the elements. When *
. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . ge to swallow whole, they maybe seen with part of it hanging outside their bill, until the first halfis digested. Thus embarrassed, the Albatross has only one mode ofescape if it happens to be pursued; namely, by disgorging the foodwith which its stomach is overloaded. Gifted with an extraordinary power of flight, these birds ventureout to enormous distances from land, more especially in stormyweather. They seem to delight in the warring of the elements. When * The weight of this bird much varies. A specimen in the Leverian Museummeasured thirteen feet from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. One shotoff the Cape of Good Hope was said to be seventeen and a half feet.—Ed. T 290 REPTILES AND BIRDS. overcome with fatigue, they repose on the surface of the sea, placingtheir head under their wings. When in this position they are veryeasily captured. In order to do this, the sailors have only to ap-proach silently, and knock them down with a boat-hook or spearthem with a Fig. 108. —The Common Albatross. Navigators have opportunities of observing these birds in theAntarctic regions, where there is no night at certain seasons of theyear, and they assert that the same flocks may be seen hoveringaround their vessel during many successive days without exhibitingthe least signs of exhaustion or the slightest relaxation in theirstrength. A peculiarity in their mode of flight is that, whether theyare ascending or descending, they seldom flap their wings, but do sowithout an eflbrt. THE COMMON ALBATROSS. 291 To follow in the wake of some passing ship, probably because theagitation of her track brings to the surface the small fry of marineanimals which are their principal food, appears to delight pounce upon anything that falls overboard, even man. Onone occasion a sailor fell into the sea from a French vessel, andco
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