178 A NATURALIST OX THE "CHALLENGER." 



brown remains sticking ont round the bird's neck, and then, 

 when it cocks up its head, it looks like a small boy in stick-up 

 collars. The manner in which these young ones cock up their 

 heads gives them a peculiar expression of vanity, and as they 

 ran off on their short stumpy legs, I could not resist laughing 



outright. 



At the farthest corner of the breeding space, in the most 

 sheltered spot, was a clump of birds of a hundred or more. The 

 birds were most of them in a slightly stooping posture, and with 

 the lower part of their bodies bulged out in a fold in front. As 

 I came up and bullied these birds with my stick a little they 

 shifted their ground a bit, with an awkward sort of hopping 

 motion, with the feet held close together. It immediately struck 

 me that they were carrying eggs with them, as I had read that 

 King Penguins do. Their gait was quite peculiar, and different 

 from the ordinary one, and evidently laboured and difficult. 



I struck one of them with my stick, and after some little pro- 

 vocation she let drop her egg from her pouch, and then at once 

 assumed the running motion. These birds carry their egg in a 

 complete pouch between their legs, and hold it in by keeping 

 their broad web feet tucked close together under it. They make 

 absolutely no nest, nor even mark from habitually sitting in one 

 place ; but simply stand on the rookery floor in the described 

 stooping position, and shift ground a bit from time to time, as 

 occasion requires. I suppose the egg is not dropped till the 

 young one begins to break the shell. Charles Goodridge says 

 that the period of incubation is seven weeks, and that the birds 

 commenced laying in the Crozets in November, and continued to 

 lay, if deprived of their eggs, till March. 



The birds with eggs were sitting close together. When, on 

 my frightening them, some were driven against others, savage 

 fights ensued, and blood was drawn freely; the birds whose 

 ground was invaded striking out furiously with their beaks. 



Eound about the brooding birds were others, I think males, 

 in considerable numbers. These males probably feed the 

 females with which they are paired. There were also some 

 young downy birds. If one of these latter was driven in 

 amongst the brooders it was at once pecked almost to death. 



