Part 33

This Albatross is the adult of the bird represented in plate 35, (the Black-footed Albatross, _Diomedea nigripes_, Aud.) of the present volume. At the time of the publication of the plate alluded to, and our article accompanying it, we were not aware of this identity; but having had our attention called to it by a distinguished European ornithologist, we have, on careful re-examination and comparison, fully confirmed its truth. So great a change taking place, however, in this bird, from early age to maturity, the two figures only fairly represent the species, of which that formerly given, as above, is the young bird.

The common occurrence of this species on the coasts of California and Oregon, was ascertained by the naturalists of the Exploring Expedition in the Vincennes and Peacock, under command of Captain Charles Wilkes, of the United States’ Navy; and its addition to the ornithology of North America is one of many services to Zoology performed by that celebrated and most important Expedition. In fact, of the many similar undertakings of governments for the purposes of exploration and scientific research within the present century, the expedition alluded to stands pre-eminent in its contributions to Geographical and Zoological Science, a result to be attributed to the enlightened and judicious exertions of its distinguished Commander, and to the fact that it numbered amongst its naturalists several of the most accomplished Zoologists of America.

This Albatross probably inhabits the entire extent of the Pacific Ocean, from the northern coasts of America and Asia to Australia. It is given by Mr. Gould as a bird of the coast of Australia, though somewhat doubtfully, and is very probably the species sometimes mistaken for the Great Wandering Albatross (_D. exulans_), and found abundantly in the vicinity of the Kurile Islands and the coast of Kamtschatka, and other more southern coasts of Asia. It is smaller than the species just mentioned, but otherwise much resembles it. That species, though abundant in the southern hemisphere, does not apparently venture so far north as the present bird.

In a volume on Quadrupeds and Birds, by Mr. Titian R. Peale, which was printed and partially distributed as one of the valuable series of works on the scientific results of the Exploring Expedition of the Vincennes and Peacock, we find the following in relation to the bird now before us:—

“Numbers of the Short-tailed Albatross were observed by the Expedition on the Northwest coast of America, and this species is believed to be a common inhabitant of all the Pacific Ocean, north of the Tropic of Cancer. Specimens vary as much, or perhaps more, from each other, than in the Wandering Albatross (_Diomedea exulans_), of the Southern Ocean, and require several years to attain to their perfect dress. The changes are regularly progressive. Until the second year the plumage remains of a dark sooty-brown color, with black feet, and dirty flesh-colored bills (which become black when the skins are dried), and in this state this bird pairs and raises its first young; after this, cloudy-white spots appear about the base of the bill, and white spots over and under the eyes; the rump begins to show a conspicuous spot of the same; and the bill turns yellow, with a tinge of carmine; the tip bluish; the legs are then flesh-colored; and, finally, the back, wings, and tail, become cinereous-brown; rump, head, and all the under parts pure white; a white margin shows along the back-edge of the wing in flight; and a cloudy-black spot generally remains in front of the eye. Thus, in some years, the plumage of the body is changed from nearly black to a pure snow-like white.

“On the 20th of December we found this species breeding on Wake’s Island. The single egg of each pair was laid on the ground, in a slight concavity, without any lining material; both sexes take turns in the duties of incubation, and neither the male nor the female abandoned the nest on our approach, but walked around us in a very dignified manner, and made but a few demonstrations of defence with their beaks, when taken up in our arms. The eggs are white, of an oblong figure, nearly alike at both ends, and measure four and two-tenths inches long, and two and six-tenths inches in diameter.

“The two sexes are alike in plumage, and do not vary much in size, though the male is rather the larger.

“This bird is usually silent, but sometimes quarrels with its fellows over the offal thrown from ships, when it “brays” in much the same tone as a jackass. It is easily caught with a hook and line, but owing to its thick plumage and tenacity of life, it is difficult to kill it with shot.

“It was not our fortune to observe more than this one species of Albatross in the North Pacific. It is subject to great variations of plumage, as stated above, but is very distinct from the species of the Southern Hemisphere. The Wandering Albatross (_D. exulans_), and the Yellow-nosed (_D. chlororhynchus_), both of which, it has been asserted, have been sometimes found in the Northern Oceans, we believe, on the contrary, to be entirely restricted to the Southern hemisphere, or else they would sometimes be seen in crossing the intermediate tropical region. We saw both of those species, and also the Sooty Albatross (_D. fusca_), as far south as latitude 57° 41′, which appeared to be nearly their southern limit. Their northern limit of migration on the Atlantic shores of South America is somewhere about the River La Plata, and on the Pacific coasts about the southern parts of Peru.”

In Dr. Pickering’s Journal this bird is alluded to frequently, and especially as occurring at sea north of the Hawaiian Islands, and on the coast of Oregon. His observations agree with those by Mr. Peale, above quoted.

This species is given by Messrs. Temminck and Schlegel, as a bird of Japan, in their Fauna Japonica, and is well figured in its young plumage, but they give no account of its manners or history.

The figure in our plate represents the adult male, and was made from a specimen obtained on the coast of Kamtschatka, now in the Museum of the Philadelphia Academy, but precisely similar to others in the collection of the Exploring Expedition in the National Museum, Washington city.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Genus Diomedea. Linnæus. Syst. Nat., I., p. 214. (1766.) Diomedea brachyura. Temm. Pl. col., V., p. (liv. 75, about 1828.) Diomedea nigripes. Aud. Orn. Biog., V., p. 327. (1839.)

Form. Very similar to _Diomedea exulans_, but much smaller; bill rather long, strong, abruptly hooked at the end; wings long, pointed, first quill longest; tail short; legs strong; toes long, fully webbed.

Dimensions. Total length (of skin) about 28 inches; wing 20; tail 6 inches.

Colors. Adult. Primaries, greater wing coverts, tips of secondaries and tertiaries, and upper edge of the wing brownish-black; tail white, tipped with dark brown. All other parts, including the head and entire body, white, usually in adult specimens tinged with pale yellow on the head and neck. Under wing coverts white; bill pale reddish-yellow (in prepared and dried specimen pale, dull yellow); legs pale flesh-color.

Young. Entirely sooty-brown; lighter on the inferior parts of the body; bill and feet dark; in more advanced plumage, variously spotted with white, generally most observable around the base of the bill and on the rump.

Hab. Western coast of North America. Spec. in Mus. Acad. Philada.

Of the smaller species of the Albatrosses, this is the largest and next in size to the large _D. exulans_, which it much resembles in general appearance. It may always, however, be readily distinguished from any other species by the characters given above. Specimens occur in which the pale yellow tinge of the head and neck is not distinguishable, but usually it is a strongly marked character.

It was by our friend, that distinguished ornithologist, Gustav Hartlaub, M. D., Director of the Museum of the city of Bremen, that our attention was first called to the fact of this bird and the Black-footed Albatross being identical, and a re-examination suggested. Not for this only are we indebted to the same gentleman, but for much advice and instruction most encouraging and valuable, and a constant assurance of good feeling, uninterrupted for years. Naturalists of all climes should work out their mission in harmony and fellowship. It is often not so,—would that all like Hartlaub cultivated and understood, as well as Science, kindness, friendship, justice.

* * * * * * *

But we are at the close of our volume. Like the traveller at the end of his day’s journey, or the husbandman when the sun has sunk behind the hills, we willingly stop for repose, not without thoughts mainly, and perhaps necessarily, retrospective, but agreeable.

Reader! our barks have glided together for a period on the great stream which carries us alike to our future destiny. Thou hast been to me as a companion most pleasant, and an encourager. We have chatted, not always, perhaps, with sufficient reverence, or possibly sometimes frivolously, of the magnificence of our pathway,—of the mountain and the forest,—even of the birds that sing in the branches. By no means without dignity of subject,—the highest dignity attaches to all created things as the realized ideas of Omnipotence.

We could wish that some passages in our book were more clearly stated; but there is little that we would erase. We aspire to no perfection, much less have we accomplished any. Imperfection is a characteristic of mankind. Man exists in this world as an intellectual being, in a rudimental condition only.

Trust not too implicitly in the delights of the wilds, nor of solitude. They are temporary, and only to be as a teacher,—we must return ever to social life as the ark of safety, bringing, we may hope, the olive-branch of peace with knowledge. For all that I have said, or that any one else has said, our greatest and truest interests are in society. There only we acquire true cultivation and elevation. Science, Literature, Art, the great civilizers, there only flourish. Betake thyself not to the wilderness, or for a period only, and never longer than forty days,—never!—if there is any help for it.

We part now,—I would that it may be lover-like, oft promising to meet again, and hoping ever,—parted already, as it were, and distant, perhaps, by the length and breadth of our native land, or by the wide waters of the Atlantic,—from my heart I waft to thee a blessing and a farewell.

FOOTNOTES

[1]This name _Kelp_ is applied to species of marine plants of the genus _Macrocystis_ which grow profusely in the sea on the Pacific coast of the American continent. The species particularly alluded to as abounding on the coast of California is one of the most gigantic of plants, having been observed upwards of three hundred feet in length, and occurs in such immense and dense masses as to present formidable difficulties to the navigator. For this reason many localities of this extraordinary plant have been carefully marked in the charts containing the results of the Coast Survey now being made by order of the Government of the United States. All the recent travellers in California represent it as being cast on the shore in large quantities by the action of the sea, and it could probably be as readily applied to the production of Barilla (carbonate of soda) as any other marine species of the vegetable kingdom from which, in other countries, this important article of commerce is manufactured.

[2]Nearly the whole of the Zoological portion of this important work is omitted in the English edition (Quarto, London, 1843.)

[3]Dec. 1853.

[4]The works of this naturalist (who is Director of the Zoological Museum in Dresden) are in the highest degree important, and in fact indispensable to the ornithologist. In his great work, “The Complete Natural History” (Die Volstandigate Naturgeschichte, Dresden and Leipsic, now in the course of publication in parts), he has undertaken to give plates of all known species of birds, and has already published several thousand figures.

Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.

—Left, unresolved, the confusion between “Brown-headed Finch” and “Western Swamp Sparrow”.

—This attribution, with minor orthographic variations, appears on all plates:

Drawn on Stone by W^m. E. Hitchcock Geo. L. White, del. Lith^d. printed and Col^d. by J. T. Bowen, Philad^a.