IOI2 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



soon branched oil along tlic different paths that led lu their various 

 nests. Many ascended steep inclines to reach tlie top of the island, 

 and it was astonishing' to see them climbing up at an angle of GO deg. 

 and more, occasionally , aiding themselves with their wings and beak, 

 sometimes wallving, sonietnnes hopping from rock to rock. 



" On reaching their mates on the nest they commenced their peculiar 

 braying sound, fii'st one bird and then the other ; and in the caves, where 

 nimibers of these birds had their nests, tho soiuid was kept up more or 

 less all night. The noise is very loud and discordant. Two slightly 

 different notes were heard ; possibl)' one was made by the Little and the 

 other by the Faiiy Penguin. The two kinds of birds did not seem to 

 land at the saane time, but got mixed up when congregating on the 

 landing places. The Fairy Penguin appeared to be of a brighter colour 

 than the larger species. 



" The young of Ijoth species were covered with very dark-brown down, 

 and obtained their food by jmtting their beak inside that of their parent 

 • — the yotmg being very noisy at feeding time.' 



740. EUDYPTULA UNUINA, Gould. (G70) 



FAIRY PENGUIN. 



Figure. — Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 85. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. .\.\vi., p. 646. 

 Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Campbell : Southern Science Record 

 (18S3) ; North: Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 350 (1S89). 



Geoyrapliicdl Dint rilmt imt. — Coasts of Victoria and Ta.sniauia 

 (including intermediate islands) ; also New Zealand. 



Nest. — Crevice of a rock or a hollow scraped out under vegetation. 



Eggs. — Chilch, two ; roundi.sh in l'(]rm, but more compressed at one 

 end; texture of shell coarse; surface slightly glo.ssy, occasionally with 

 some largo limy nodules ;coloiir, white, with a perceptible greenish tinge. 

 Dimensions in inches of a pair : (1) 1-'J8 x 1-55, (2) r97 x 1-53. 



Ohfiirvalioiix. — The Fairy Penguin is the smallest of its singular trilx;, 

 and frequents the seas surrouiuling Tasmaniai and New Zealand. It 

 has been foimd in Port Phillip waters. 



Many authoiities regard the Fairy Penguin as the young of the 

 E. minor, but it differs from that bird in being constantly less in size 

 (about 14 inches in total length) and in the deeper glossy blue colouring 

 of the upjx:r surface of the body. Gould says: "I invariably found 

 the young of that species (E. inimir) while still partly clothed in tho 

 downy dress of inimatvu'ity, to exceed considerably in size all the examples 

 of this species (E. nndiiut), even when adorned in the adult livery and 

 ])ossessing the hard bill of maturity. There can be no question there- 

 fore of the two birds being distinct." 



