744 



THE KING PENGUIN. 



along the side of its bill, all the heads being within the mouth and all the tails dangling 

 outside. It breeds upon the rocks and in the rabbit-warrens near the sea, finding the 

 ready-made burrows of the rabbit very convenient for the reception of its eggs, and 

 fighting with the owner for possession of the burrow. Where rabbits do not exist, the 

 Puffin digs ts own burrow, and works hard at its labour. The egg is generally placed 

 several feet within the holes, and the parents defend it vigorously. Even the raven 

 makes little of an attack, for the Puffin gripes his foe as he best can, and tries to tumble 

 into the sea, where the raven is soon di-owned, and the little champion returns home in 



triumph. The egg is white, but 

 soon becomes stained by the earth. 

 The food of this bird consists of 

 fish, crustaceans, and insects. 



The top of the head, the back, 

 and a ring round the neck are 

 black, and the cheeks and under 

 surfaces are white. The beak is 

 curiously striped with orange 

 upon bluish grey, and the legs 

 and toes are orange. The length 

 of this bird is about one foot. 



The Penguins form a very re- 

 markable sub-family, all its mem- 

 bers having their wings modified 

 into paddles, useless for flight, 

 but capable of being employed as 

 fore-legs in terrestrial progression 

 when the bird is in a hurry, and 

 probably as oars or paddles in the 

 water. There are many species 

 of Penguins, but as they are very 

 similar in general habits, we must 

 lie content with a single example. 

 The King Penguin is a native 

 of high soutliern latitudes, and is 

 very plentiful in the spots which 

 it frequents. It swims and dives 

 wonderfully well, aud feeds largely 

 on cuttle-fish. Dr. Bennett has 

 given an admirable description of 

 this bird and its habits, as it ap- 

 peared on Macquarrie's Island in 

 the South Pacific Ocean. 



" The number of Penguins 

 collected together in this spot is 

 immense, but it would be almost 

 impossible to guess at it with any 

 near approach to trutli, as during 

 tlie whole of the day aud night 

 thirty or forty thousand of them 

 are continually landing, and an equal number going to sea. Tliey are arranged, when on 

 shore, in as compact a manner and in as regular ranks as a regiment of soldiers, and are 

 classed with the greatest order, the young birds being in one situation, tlie moulting 

 birds in another, the sitting hens in a third, the clean birds in a fourth, &c. ; and so 

 strictly do birds in similar condition congregate, that should a bird that is in moulting 

 intrude itself among those which are clean, it is immediately ejected from among them. 



KING PENGUIN.— /I j)(c)Mrfi/(es Pennantn. 



