154 TRINCE EDWARD ISLANDS. 



most comical look, as they run off to jostle their way in amongst 

 the old ones. They seemed to run rather better than the adults, 

 but perhaps that was fancy. 



Absurd in appearance as these young are, those that are just 

 dropping the down and assuming the white plumage of the 

 adults are far more so. Some are to be seen with the brown 

 down in large irregular patches, and the white feathers showing 

 out between these. In others the down remains only about 

 neck and head, and in the last stage a sort of ruff or collar of 

 brown remains sticking out round the bird's neck, and then, 

 when it cocks up its head, it looks like a small boy in stick-up 

 collars. The manner in which these young ones cock up their 

 heads gives them a peculiar expression of vanity, and as they 

 ran off on their short stumpy legs, I could not resist laughing 

 outright. 



At the farthest corner of the breeding space, in the most 

 sheltered spot, was a clump of birds of a hundred or more. 

 The birds were most of them in a slightly stooping posture, and 

 with the lower part of their bodies bulged out in a fold in front. 

 As I came up and bullied these birds with my stick a little they 

 shifted their ground a bit, with an awkward sort of hopping 

 motion, with the feet held close together. It immediately 

 struck me that they were carrying eggs with them, as I had read 

 that King Penguins do. Their gait was quite peculiar, and 

 different from the ordinary one, and evidently laboured and 

 difficult. 



I struck one of them with my stick, and after some little pro- 

 vocation she let drop her egg from her pouch, and then at once 

 assumed the running motion. These birds carry their egg in a 

 complete pouch between their legs, and hold it in by keeping 

 their broad web feet tucked close together under it. They 

 make absolutely no nest, nor even a mark from habitually sitting 

 in one place ; but simply stand on the rookery floor in the 

 described stooping position, and shift ground a bit from time 

 to time, as occasion requires. I suppose the egg is not dropped 

 till the young one begins to break the shell. Charles Goodridge 

 says that the period of incubation is seven weeks, and that the 

 birds commenced laying in the Crozets in November, and 

 continued to lay, if deprived of their eggs, till March. 



The birds with eggs were sitting close together. When, on 

 my frightening them, some were driven against others, savage 

 fights ensued, and blood was drawn freely ; the birds whose 

 ground was invaded striking out furiously with their beaks. 



Round about the brooding birds were others, I think males, 

 in considerable numbers. These males probably feed the 

 females with which they are paired. There were also some 



