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Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 3, Issue 74, 23 October 1851, Page 3

As a matter both of interest instruction, and instruction. we Have decided upon furnishing occasional descriptions of beasts, birds, fishes, and other subjects of Natural History; so that when any of these shall he mentioned in the pages of ibis Journal, the attentive reader may lie abb' more c'e.irly to understand the tiatuie and habits of the various inhabitants of the nr.iniul kingdom. We commence with, — Titn Ai.ti.vruoss. This (accordiuj; to Mr. M.itnider) is the largest of all aquatic liirils, the wm.'s of one »lim extended measmiiic fifteen fie*, [we haves-en one, preserved by Mr. Villctle, at tin; Cape ol Good Hope, which ni asuretl t«viily-tHo feet] and llu- weight often etceeding iwcnty pound". lis plumule is generally while, with the exception of a tew oftho wing feithers and some transverse black bands on the back. It has a strong, liiirtl, long leak, ol a pah' yellow colour: the fee', which arc flesh coloured,are slinrland webbed; ami the wings long; siiong, and narrow. It preys on the wine;, and is very vorao in*; bin diough formidable from its size and strength it is not equally eour.ii-eoiH. being frequently compiled to )ield its prey to the sea-eagle* and sunn-limes even to the larger apceies of eulls. These birds are continually met with in the Southern Ocean, mid are nls> seen in immense (locks about Dclirings. .Straits, mill kan.tscbatka in Ihciarl)part of summer, a'.lraiti'tl thither by th • vast shoals of fi-h, whose migrations they follow, liesides the common Albatrosses, here described, tbeie an two other species of less gigantic proportion*, namely the Albatross of China, and the hlafk-bcaked Alibtmss. When sai'ors accidcnlly fall overboard in latitudes when; the Albatross abounds, they find it n most formidable enemy, even .should only a few minnU's i-l.i s> befoic they can be rcs.-ued by their comrade.'!. Its powers of flight are prodigious. Dr. Arnot ini-iiiions an instance of one of these birds lollowinga rapidly sailing ship lor two or ihree days. One species is called by saihis the "Cape Sheep" Irom (locks of tliein In-ing seen oil' the eipe of Good Uo| e. Cap'ain Sir J. C. Ross in his voyage to the South seas, mentions t mt in one ni the islands frequcnteJ by stalhuniers, the eggs of these birds, each ol'.ihicli average.! about a pound i,i weight arc much esteemed, while the young bird*, when first taken from their nests, are described by them as being quite delicious. Il is possible be add", lbs seders mayhave acquired the Ksquitunnx taste. A ; batio<ses abound nt lh» Auckland [simills as v ell as at many of the isles and islets of tin? co ist of New Zealand ; and we have been credibly informed, their ejigs are excellent. It is a common practice to preserve Vmiiisr bi'ds in s-nl skins, filled wi'h lard.