THE FASTING PERIOD 



between the fleeing thief and his pursuer. As the 

 former raced and ducked about among the nests, 

 doubhng on his tracks, and trying by every means 

 to get lost in the crowd and so rid himself of 

 his pursuer, his feathers lay close back on his 

 skin, giving him a sleek look which made him 

 appear half the size of the irate nest-holder who 

 sought to catch him, with feathers ruffled in indig- 

 nation. This at first led me to think that the hens 

 were larger than the cocks, as it was generally the 

 hen who was at home, and the cock who was after 

 the stones, but later I found that sex makes 

 absolutely no difference in the size of the birds, 

 or indeed in their appearance at all, as seen by the 

 human eye. After mating, their behaviour as well 

 as various outward signs serve to distinguish male 

 from female. Besides this certain differences in 

 their habits, which I will describe in another 

 place, are to be noted. 



The consciousness of guilt, however, always 

 makes a penguin smooth his feathers and look 

 small, whilst indignation has the opposite effect. 

 Often when observing a knoll crowded with 

 nesting penguins, I have seen an apparently under- 

 sized individual slipping quietly along among the 

 nests, and always by his subsequent proceedings he 



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