Chap, vii.] " JOHNNY " PENGUINS. I5I 



There were numerous nests of the Skua about amongst the 

 herbage in dry places. Two nests of these birds are never 

 built near together. The birds always have a wide range of 

 hunting ground round their nest. The Skuas in Marion Island 

 were extremely bold and savage, as they were also in Kurgue- 

 len's Land. When one approaches the nest they swoop down, 

 passing with a rush close down to one's head, whizzing past 

 one's ears in a most unpleasant manner. 



The two birds take turns at towering above, and thus 

 swooping. They have sharp claws and beaks, and no doubt 

 would injure one's face or eyes severely if they touched them 

 as they passed. One has to beat them off with a stick or gun 

 barrel. They are very clever in avoiding the stick as they rush 

 past, but several were knocked down. Sometimes I have had 

 to waste a charge on them to get rid of them. Some pairs are 

 much more savage than others. They have a harsh cry. Of 

 course, when their young is handled they are most furious, and 

 one has to keep a stick going as one carries it off. The birds 

 are very like the Northern Skuas in their habits. One of them 

 swooped down on a duck which I had shot one day at Kergue- 

 len's Land which fell in the water. The bird picked it up 

 when I was not more than half a dozen yards off, and was 

 making off with it in its beak, carrying it easily, when I 

 brought it down with a second shot, the duck thus costing 

 me two barrels. 



I searched the sea-shore for a considerable distance in 

 the hope of finding Fur Seals, but saw none. Three sorts of 

 penguins were abundant. One was a penguin called by the 

 sealers the "Johnny " {Fygosce/es ftcniata), the " Crcntoo " of the 

 Falklands. This penguin is a great deal larger than the crested 

 Penguins, in fact nearly as big as the King Penguin. The beak 

 is bright red, long and sharp-pointed, the back dark blackish, 

 the breast white. I'he colour of the back is continued on to 

 the head, but a white patch on the top of the head in contrast 

 with the dark colouring is the marked feature about the bird. 

 These penguins we nowhere met with nesting. They are 

 often associated with the King Penguins. They were usually 

 to be met with here and in Kerguelen's Land in parties of a 

 dozen or twenty or thirty on the grass, close to the shore, and 

 were apparently moulting at the time of our visit. At Christmas 

 Harbour, Kerguelen's Land, some lots of them camped at 100 

 feet, at least, up the steep but green hill-side at the end of the 

 harbour. 



These penguins do not hop, but run, and when closely pur- 

 sued throw themselves on their bellies on the ground, and 

 struggle along, rowing themselves with violent blows of their 



