DOMESTIC LIFE 



place to the characteristic bright brick-red guano, 

 resulting from their feeding on the shrimp-like 

 euphausia in the sea ; and the colour of the whole 

 rookery was changed in a few days, though this 

 was first noticeable, of course, in the region of 

 those knolls which had been occupied first, and 

 which were now settled down to the peaceable and 

 regular family life which was to last until the chicks 

 had grown. 



As this family life became established, law and 

 order reigned to some extent, and there was a 

 distinct tendency to preserve it, noticeably on those 

 knolls which had so settled down, and I think the 

 following most surprising incident bears evidence 

 of what I have said. I quote word for word from 

 my notes on November 24, 1911 : 



" This afternoon I saw two cocks (probably) 

 engaged in a very fierce fight, which lasted a good 

 three minutes. They were fighting with flippers 

 and bills, one of them being particularly clever with 

 the latter, frequently seizing and holding his oppo- 

 nent just behind the right eye whilst he battered 

 him with his flippers. 



" After a couple of minutes, during which each 

 had the other down on the ground several times, 

 three or four other penguins ran up and apparently 



63 



