DOMESTIC LIFE 



living under Antarctic conditions, we collected a 

 large number, which we stowed away to freeze. 

 To collect these eggs we used to set off, carrying 

 a bucket, and walk through the knolls. As we 

 picked our way, carefully placing our feet in the 

 narrow spaces between the nests, we were savagely 

 pecked about the legs, as in most positions at 

 least, these birds could reach us without even leaving 

 the nest, whilst very often the mates standing near 

 them would sail in at us, raining in blows with 

 their flippers with the rapidity of a maxim gun. 



To search for eggs it was necessary to lift up the 

 occupant of each nest and look beneath her. If 

 she were tackled from front or flank this was a 

 painful and difficult business, as she drove at the 

 intruder's hands with powerful strokes of her sharp 

 beak, but we found that the best way to set about 

 the matter was to dangle a fur mit in front of 

 her with one hand, and when she seized this 

 quickly slip the other behind her, lifting her nether 

 regions from the nest, and at the same time push- 

 ing her gently forward. Immediately she would 

 drop the fur mit, and sticking her beak into the 

 ground push herself backward with a determined 

 effort to stay on the nest. So long as the pressure 

 from behind was kept up she would keep her beak 



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