70' Transactions. — Zoology. 



line adult birds and a nestling from the Macquarie Islands. 

 One of the former went immediately to the dissecting-room. 

 The others I turned loose in the garden, together with a large 

 contingent of Eudyptes sclateri and Eudyptes scUlcgcU. The 

 latter scuttled ofi" and took refuge in the shrubbery ; but the 

 three King Penguins remained on the grass slope, and made 

 themselves perfectly at home at once. Owing to their peculiar 

 conformation they do not rest in a squatting attitude like the 

 other Penguins, but either sit bolt upright, resting the whole 

 weight of the body on the heel of the foot, or lie full length on 

 the ground. In the early morning I found them lying prone 

 on the belly, with their heads meeting and crossing one 

 another. They remained in this position and perfectly mo- 

 tionless till the sun was well up in the heavens. On two of 

 these birds being removed the remaining one appeared quite 

 disconsolate, and wandered over the place a whole morning 

 looking for his mates. He stalked about in the drollest 

 manner, walking perfectly upright and sw^aying his out- 

 stretched flippers for the purpose of steadying the body. 

 Having failed to find his companions, he settled down in the 

 most philosophic fashion, and never left that corner of the 

 garden where he had taken up his abode. He would not take 

 food when offered, but on my forcing open his mandibles and 

 placing minced raw meat in his mouth he swallowed it with 

 avidity. 



The nestling is covered with thick woolly down of a 

 uniform sooty colour. It is a voracious feeder, uttering all 

 day long a shrill squirling cry and opening its beak to be 

 fed. Its appetite appears to have no limit, for no sooner has 

 it swallowed one handful of minced meat than it stretches up 

 its neck and clamours for more. When calling for food it 

 sways its neck to and fro, after the manner of a young Cor- 

 morant, as if to give greater emphasis to its demands. When 

 alarmed the King Penguin utters a low cry like that of a 

 domestic goose. 



The nearest point at which it can be obtained is Macquarie 

 Island, lying about iat. 55° S. There is a tradition, how^ever, 

 on board the " Hinemoa," of one having been seen, among 

 a group of Crested Penguins, on Campbell Island. It was 

 made out wdth the glass long before the ship came alongside. 

 It is not unlikely, however, that this was a bird that had 

 made its escape froni one of the sealing ships on its way from 

 Macquarie Island. 



The bird of the first year is covered with a shaggy, hair- 

 like down of a yellowish-brown colour. This is gradually 

 replaced by short plumage, presenting the colours of the adult, 

 but much duller. The spatulate marks on the side of the 

 head are of a pale greenish-yellow colour, and on the breast 



