338 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



Murphy, of the Brooklyn Museum, New York. As the 

 author was a member of the Brooklyn Museum's recent 

 expedition to South Georgia, his remarks are entirely based 

 on personal observation, and therefore of high value. The 

 first portion of the article deals with the "Johnny Penguin " 

 {Pygoscelis papud), whose habits are described in very readable 

 fashion, and illustrated by excellent photographs. The largest 

 rookery observed was estimated to comprise between four 

 and five thousand birds. It was situated behind a moraine 

 beach at the Bay of Isles, and by the continual tramping of 

 many generations a broad thoroughfare had been stamped 

 across the moraine, while " deeply-grooved sinuous avenues 

 extended up the long snow bank to the highest portions of 

 the colony." A curious instinct followed by these birds, or 

 at least a certain proportion of them, induces them to nest 

 on the summits of high, windy ridges away from the water. 

 This peculiar instinct, according to the author, probably 

 owes its origin to the exigencies of space in former times 

 resulting from a far more abundant fauna than exists at the 

 present day. Another strange habit is that of running, when 

 alarmed, up the beach towards high ground rather than into 

 the water ! This remarkable fondness for elevated situations 

 appears to reach its climax in the adoption of a sort of high- 

 lying aquatic cemetery. A transparent pool, formed entirely 

 of snow water, was discovered in a hollow at the summit of 

 the coast range. The bottom of this pool was found to be 

 thickly strewn with the bodies of these quaint creatures, 

 mostly lying on their backs with wings extended and their 

 breasts gleaming white. Many other interesting particulars 

 regarding the birds, their nests, and their young, are given in 

 this fascinating paper, which we heartily recommend to the 

 notice of our readers. 



