492 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



the water's edge, cancl as we left the ship iu boats the braymg 

 noise of the crested penguins became incessant. 



The sea was smooth, and as we X)ulled the boats in towards 

 the shore we noticed that the water was of a dee^^ oceau-bkie 

 right up to the rocks. The north and east sides of the islands 

 are comparative!}' low, and the south and west sides high and 

 steep, but even where we anchored there are several tolerably 

 high cliffs, and in them are seen numerous deep caves. One 

 only of them is known to have a convenient entrance, and 

 into this Captain Fairchild steered his boat, the other boat 

 following. The boats went 40 yards into the dark cave, 

 which was high and broad, and continued deeper still, but the 

 further part was very low. There was easy turning-room for 

 boats, and the height was more than we could see with the 

 available light. 



I could not help thinking that the attraction which a cave 

 has for most people is but a survival of our troglodytic ances- 

 tral habit — a notion which is confirmed by the liking of the 

 more conservative sex for darkened rooms, and of child]'en for 

 " building houses " in dark recesses. 



As we came out, flocks of sea-birds flew and swam around 

 us, and we headed up a great herd of nellies {Ossifraga gigantea, 

 giant petrel or breakbones), and chased them awhile. One 

 of them, instead of being nearly black, was a pure- white al- 

 bino — a case which, though rare, is not unique — and efforts 

 were made by Mr. H. Travers, who was collecting birds, to 

 secure this, but without success. Gulls, prions, petrels, and 

 other sea-birds flew in great numbers about the shore, making 

 the scene a very lively one. 



At a steep rocky place clear of all growth the boat was 

 pulled up to the shore, so that the schoolboys, of whom we 

 had six among the passengers, might enjoy a little penguin- 

 hunting. The penguins in the water hopped out of the way 

 of the boat in the most graceful style. They spring from the 

 water, turn with a curve in the air, and plunge in again 

 in exactly the manner iu which we see porpoises jumping 

 alongside steamers on the coast. The similitude is exact ; 

 indeed, at a certain season I have seen in Cook Strait baby- 

 porpoises, no bigger than penguins, jumping exactly like 

 them, and in the Sounds I have mistaken penguins for young 

 poi'poises. 



The boys were anxious to begin the business of the voyage 

 by catching a supply of penguins. These showed no undue 

 fear, but naturally tried to avoid capture. They rushed in 

 hundreds up the steep rocky face on which they had esta- 

 blished their rookery in front of the line of boys who clambered 

 after them, and when a boy outflanked a penguin the boy 

 generally got very red in the face as he seized the penguin by 



