THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 43 



will not leave nests while one is in sight." The extended 

 form of wing tertiaries and exterior tail feathers materially 

 aid in the rapid flight, thus able to pursue on water as the 

 Falcon does on land. To he correct, this bird is not a swimmer, 

 but as it bears in the toes a deeply scooped membrane, under- 

 going a change as the nearest relation to this eighth order, it is so 

 placed ; in structure it shows a decided tendency towards the 

 raptores. According to specimens reviewed from Maiden Island 

 the nuptial plumage is full during March and April, and the 

 female is devoid of highly coloured adornment as is the case with 

 the male. 



Spheniscid^e. 



Of this family we have three representatives, all inhabiting the 

 southern waters, and more strictly aquatic than any other of the 

 order. The colder the water the birds are the more at home; hence 

 it is that New Zealand south, with a quarter of our coast, has 1 1 

 species, while we have 3 only, though contentment is great gain. 

 The connections of this family are not very visible. It is suggested 

 by some relation is on one side by the goose with the Rasores ; 

 others, through the Grebe with the Coot. Further suggestions are 

 left for our friends present. We know that disuse through 

 thousands of generations will produce the effect as seen in the 

 primitive wings or paddles. 



Eudvptula undina, Gould, Fairy Penguin, is probably the 

 smallest yet discovered, frequenting Tasmanian and Victorian 

 waters. 



The note of the bird is hoarse and discordant, and as many of 

 you have had the pleasure of visiting a rookery, we will think of 

 a comglomerate breed of dog issuing its somewhat unmelodious 

 bark to remind us of the note. 



The sense of sight is highly developed, being able to see 

 equally well in the different media of air and water. As much 

 cannot be said for the sense of smell, as may be taken for granted 

 after a visit to any one of their young colonies. 



The Little Penguin, E. minor (Forst), more universally frequents 

 Southern Australia and Tasmania. On King and other islands 

 a considerable portion of the year is occupied in the effort to rear 

 the young, that they may successfully combat wave and wind, as 

 one may easily imagine the necessary amount of muscular energy 

 required for days at a time in the disturbance of the elements, 

 and even off Hobson's Bay coasts it is not an unfrequent occur- 

 rence to find the body devoid of life, through stress of weather 

 in all probability. The fishermen's nets very often are able to 

 account for the result, for where a small fish can flash through a 

 mesh, not so the bird. During one morning in the bay mentioned 

 I have taken as many as six birds from the nets. 



