190 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



of the occurrence of penguins, as given in his " Voyage," are in 

 all probability erroneous. On the other band, some species of 

 penguins have been found apparently as far as voyagers have 

 penetrated toward the pole. Such highly antarctic species are 

 the Pygoscelis adeli.se, and antarctica, named from their habitat, 

 and the Aptenodyles patachonica, seen by Peale in lat. 66 52'. 



The Falkland Islands appear to be a centre of the family, no 

 less than half of the known species occurring there. 



A number of the species are very extensively dispe rsed, having, 

 as it were, a circumpolar mode of distribution. Such are some 

 of the crested species, the " papuan" penguin, and especially the 

 Spheniscus demersus. This last appears to have the most exten- 

 sive distribution, both in latitude and in longitude, of any ; and 

 since it varies, like other birds, with a change of habitat, this may 

 account for the exceptional number of nominal species that have 

 been established at its expense. As far as is known, two species 

 constitute an exception to the general rule, being confined to a 

 comparatively limited area ; these are the Spheniscus minor and 

 Eudyptes antipodes, inhabiting the Australian region. 



As Dr. Schlegel remarks, the precise habitat of each species 

 cannot be given as yet; and this will not be possible without 

 much more information than we now possess, respecting the 

 places where the different species propagate, and especially in 

 regard to their movements, whether irregular and contingent, or 

 periodical, according to season of the year. 



