56 



Alexander and Nicholls, The Little Penguin. [,st'^'juiv 



The foregoing figures show a range in length from 30 to 42 mm., 

 and in depth from 10 to 18 mm., the ratio of length to depth 

 varying from 2.2 to 3.3. Four specimens have bills markedly 

 smaller than the rest — viz., one from Queenscliff (not sexed), 



30 X II ; one from Coorong (o), 31 x 10 ; one from Mordialloc (?), 



31 X 12 ; and one without localit3% in the National Museum (not 

 sexed), 31 x 12. If these four specimens are omitted, we ma}' 

 state that the bill in E. minor varies from 34 to 42 mm. in length, 

 and from 11 to 18 mm. in depth. 



We incline to the view that these birds with small bills are first 

 season birds. We would have supposed them to be immature, 

 but Captain White assures us that the specimen from South 

 Australia had mature sexual organs. The bill measurements of 

 six immature birds have been given by Nicholls in his previous 

 paper : — Immature $, 25 x 9 ; immature c^, 28 x 11 ; immature S, 

 30 X II ; immature (not sexed), 30 x 11 ; immature (J, 34 x 11 ; 

 immature S, 37 x 13. We think these figures strongly support 

 our view. The alternative is to suppose that the four birds 

 belong to a distinct small-billed species or sub-species, and 

 personally we do not believe this. 



The bill-lengths of the individuals measured may be summarized 

 as follows : — 



These figures, when plotted in a graph, suggest that the true 

 form of the curve is one with three maxima — one at about 31 mm., 

 which, we suggest, is the average bill-length of immature or first- 

 season birds ; a second at about 35 mm. in females and 37 mm. 

 in males, which, we suggest, may be the averages of one-year-old 

 birds ; and a third, at about 38 mm. in females and 40 mm. in 

 males, which may be the average length of the bill in birds of 

 two years old and over. 



It is worth noting that the five birds from New South Wales 



