102 :MK. JOHN HEWITT 



side, then od the other, iu a most ludicrous way. If there 

 are young, she behaves quite savagely : the bark is louder 

 and more prolonged, and she threatens the offender with 

 widely open mouth, remaining at her post even until 

 forcibly ejected. A crowded breeding camp may thus 

 become distinctly "unhealthy', and the tenderfoot visitor 

 would do wisely tu encase his legs in leather. 



All sides of the island were occupied, and every likely 

 spot from the vsea to the top of the peak. Nesting birds 

 were common even in a long damp cave on the west side 

 of the island, wliere direct sunlight never or rarely enters. 

 In this cave, each nest was composed of a heap of pebbles, 

 without sticks or any other accessories. However, when 

 it is available, penguins like to scrape together a few 

 sticks or dried leaves as substratum for their eggs, and 

 the dead stalks of Mesembryanthemums were commonly 

 employed for this purpose by the birds on the hillside. 



Their readiness to adapt themselves to circumstances 

 is seen on comparing the rookery at Dassen Island with 

 that of St. Croix. Writing on a visit to Dassen Island, 

 Mr. ^^ . L. Sclater says: — "Everywhere the ground was 

 riddled witli short wide burrows, not more than a foot 

 or so in depth, and eacli of these burrows was the home 

 of a pair of penguins." On the other hand, there are no 

 burrows at 8t. Croix, for the nature of the terrain does 

 not admit of burrowing. In only one solitary instance 

 could I find anything of the kind : this was in the caye, 

 where an enterjjrising bird liad almost buried itself in 

 stinking guano. However on r>ird Island, which is also in 

 Algoa Ray, the burrowing habit prevails. In the above 

 mentioned cave, all the birds, except very few at the end 

 of the cave were sitting on nests, one on each nest. I 

 assumed that all the sitting birds were females, and the 

 few pedestrians, males, but most writers say that the 

 parents share the duties of incubation. Outside also, as 

 a rule, only one bird was found on each nest: occasional- 

 ly two birds were sitting together. Not more than two 

 eggs were found under any one bird, and sitting '>irds 



