138 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



lump of peat will be carried from far back in the colony to the water's 

 edge, where the owner leaves it and enters the sea, having apparently 

 satisfied itself by taking the greatest amount of trouble in its trip to 

 the ocean. 



The full complement of eggs in these islands is two; sometimes three 

 are foimd in a nest, but the third has been stolen from a neighbor. 

 Both birds share in incubation for the eggs cannot be left exposed 

 owing to the cold, and especially to the depredations of skuas, 

 Scoresby's and Dominican Gulls. I was told even the beautiful 

 little "Fork-tailed Gull" {Larus glaucodes Meyen.) will at times peck 

 holes in the eggs. 



When a gull or skua comes close to the nest the sitting bird gener- 

 ally gives a peculiar groaning sound of warning. When uttering this 

 sound the sitting penguin points the bill straight in the air, extending 

 the head as high as possible and stretching the whole l)ody to its 

 utmost. The bill remains closed and the head often rotates from 

 side to side; the eye is bright and watching carefully all that happens. 

 Under most conditions penguins' eyes are half closed on land, giving a 

 drowsy appearance. 



A short, vibrant "ah" is uttered ofteix on landing at the beach, 

 joining the young, or when settling on the nest after being disturbed. 



The characteristic trumpeting that one hears at all times at the 

 colony may be heard a long distance. It is usually given in series of 

 three, but is often continued for a considerable time. The bird as a 

 rule extends its head in the air with the bill pointing upward and open. 

 On exhaling the sustained characteristic bray is given, then a brief 

 inhalation with a short more highly pitched* note, an exhaled bray 

 and so on. This trumpeting is heard always, and though it often 

 seems to indicate defiance, it more often appears to replace the songs 

 of more gifted birds. I would often have a group of fifty or more 

 penguins aljout me as I sat by a mound of peat at the colony, and every 

 few moments a bird contentedly dozing would awake, slowly extend 

 its head and trumpet, apparently for the sole purpose of expressing 

 its animal comfort, then resume its sleep, preen its feathers, or perhaps 

 stroll slowly about. 



The very young Gentoos haA'e a thin, chirping note. As they be- 

 come larger and able to move about a little, on becoming hungry, 

 frightened, or disturbed in any way, they resort to feeble, quavering 

 trumpeting, quite a pathetic sound as they teeter about with the 

 precarious l)alance of a child. The young about three quarters grown 

 sometimes point the bill in the air, and imitate very well the groaning 

 sound of warning given by the adults. 



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