Object Status:
Unlocated
Accession Date:
August 23, 1788
Primary Source Reference:
Pennsylvania Packet (Philadelphia), 23 Aug 1788
Additional Source Text:
"One of the largest of the feathered tribe; its wings, when extended, measure 11 feet."
Also listed in State Gazette of South Carolina (Charleston), 22 Sep 1788
Notes:
There are about two dozen species of albatross in four genera. The black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), pictured here, is a species whose habitat includes the Cape of Good Hope.
Thomas Bell (d. 1805) of Philadelphia was captain of the merchant ship United States, which became the first American ship to reach Pondicherry, India in 1784-1785. (Selected Papers, 1: 516n)
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Peale's Common Name:
Albatross
Current Common Name:
Black-browed albatross
Current Scientific Name
Thalassarche melanophris
