ADELIE PENGUINS 



her claws to scratch away at the material beneath 

 her, shooting out the rubble behind her. As she 

 does this she shifts her position in a circular direc- 

 tion until she has scraped out a round hollow. 

 Then the cock brings stones, performing journey 

 after journey, returning each time with one pebble 

 in his beak which he deposits in front of the hen 

 who places it in position. 



Sometimes the hollow is lined with a neat pave- 

 ment of stones placed side by side, one layer deep, 

 on which the hen squats, afterwards building up 

 the sides around her. At other times the scoop 

 would be filled up indiscriminately by a heap of 

 pebbles on which the hen then sat, working herself 

 down into a hollow in the middle. 



Individuals differ, not only in their building 

 methods, but also in the size of the stones they 

 select. Side by side may be seen a nest composed 

 wholly of very big stones, so large that it is a 

 matter for wonder how the birds can carry them, 

 and another nest of quite small stones. (Fig. 14.) 



Different couples seem to vary much in character 

 or mood. Some can be seen quarrelling violently, 

 whilst others appear most affectionate, and the 

 tender politeness of some of these latter toward 

 one another is very pretty to see. (Fig. 13.) 

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