228 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



fied. The boy then took the tripod and 

 pulled away the grass from within 

 three inches of the mother's bill and she 

 showed no sign of fear or nervousness. 

 Her young birds were too precious to 

 be deserted for any such ordinary dis- 

 turbance. 



I made No. 3, and left the patient 

 little creature to rear her brood in 

 peace. 



The March of the Penguins. 



We are indebted to Robert Cushman 

 Murphy, Acting Curator of Natural 



beaches that separate various arms of 

 the bays, or which lead from the sea to 

 the snow-water ponds in which the 

 penguins delight to play, they follow 

 regular, well-tramped avenues. When 

 bent on a definite journey across the 

 land, they trudge along very steadily 

 and unconcernedly, and for the time 

 seem to take no notice of their fellows. 

 When in great haste, they fall upon 

 the belly and run on all fours. By this 

 well-known mode of progTession, called 

 "tobogganing," they lead a man a very 

 creditable chase. Their most curious 

 attitude is assumed when they walk 



,11.-.-^ MARCH TO THE SEA. 



Sciences of the Brooklyn Museum for 

 the accompanying illustration of the 

 marching penguins of which he has 

 made extended studies in South Geor- 

 gia. He makes the following interest- 

 ing statements regarding these curious 

 birds : 



"The johnnies walk in a deliberate 

 manner, raising their feet high at each 

 step, carrying their tails well above the 

 ground, thrusting their wings behind 

 them as balances, and poking the head 

 forward into the accustomed near- 

 sighted attitude. Their near-sighted- 

 ness is probably no less real than ap- 

 parent, because of the specialization of 

 their eyes for vision through a medium 

 of water. 



"In crossing the stony or hummocky 



down an incline, such as a snow-bank 

 or a steep beach. The head is then 

 thrust so far forward that the straight 

 neck and the spine form a right angle ; 

 the wings are held stiffly back as far as 

 possible, and the round belly projects 

 as the bird proceeds with gingerly 

 steps. On rare occasions they hop in- 

 stead of walking, springing with both 

 feet from one beach pebble to another, 

 in the manner of the true "rock-hopper" 

 penguins Eudyptes. Their fat bodies 

 seem to be able to stand hard knocks, 

 for not only do they tumble over fre- 

 quently wherever the walking is rough 

 on shore, but they also suffer fearful 

 batterings on the shingle when they 

 come out of the surf, sometimes being 

 bowled over bv four or five successive 



