S86 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



This Pipit has a twittering song which is uttered while sitting on the top of some 

 boulder or tussac clump. In late October and early November, when they are mating, 

 the male sits singing on some such elevated post and keeps rising into the air a little 

 way with fluttering flight, making a short trill, and then returns to the ground. The 

 general appearance in flight and the habits are very similar to those of the European 

 Rock Pipit. The German Expedition of 1882-3 (Pagenstecher, 1885, p. 9) found 

 examples of this bird sitting on floating kelp as far as thirty kilometres from the coast. 



The bill is dark brown, the feet and legs yellowish brown, and the iris is dark brown. 



Pygoscelis papua, Forst. 

 Gentoo Penguin 



(Plate XLVII, figs. 10-12; Plate LIV, figs. 3, 4; Plate LV, fig. i) 



The Gentoo Penguin is very common all the year round and nests in thousands on 

 the island. It feeds on the euphausians and cephalopods which swarm in the sur- 

 rounding waters, and is often seen at sea fifty or sixty miles from the land. In September 

 and October, before they start nesting, every evening the penguins come out on to the 

 beaches in thousands to sleep on the snow banks behind, returning to the sea in the 

 morning. 



In November they gather in rookeries, often of large size, to nest. The rookeries are 

 on low tussac-covered ground by the sea, or on the hills behind, up to a height of several 

 hundred feet. The nests are placed close together, those of the last season being rebuilt 

 for present use. When they have paired the two birds sit on or near the nest and bow 

 to each other, at the same time making a low hiss. This is repeated several times and 

 then the head is thrown up and they both trumpet loudly. In doing this the bill is wide 

 open and two notes are produced, a loud expiratory one and a quieter inspiratory one 

 in a lower pitch. In making the expiratory note the skin over the base of the front 

 of the neck is bulged out. 



The nest is made of tussac, moss, kelp, mud and stones, sometimes of the latter alone. 

 In building it the female of the pair stands on it while the male collects the materials 

 and brings them to her. They are deposited on the nest and the birds bow to each 

 other ; the female then arranges them on the nest, while the male stands by and trumpets 

 before going for more. The birds are continually stealing materials from the nests 

 of their neighbours and this leads to a lot of fighting and noise. The rightful owner 

 pecks and strikes out with the flippers at the other, who at once does the same, both 

 trumpeting loudly the while. 



The rookery soon gets very foul with mud produced by the constant passing to and 

 fro of the birds, and with the red remains of the euphausians eaten by them. If the 

 rookery is not close to the beach a well-worn path is soon made to it. The two nearly 

 spherical eggs are laid at the beginning of November, and hatched early in December. 

 The yolk of the egg is deep red in colour, diff'ering from those of the King and Macaroni 

 penguins which are yellow. Incubation starts as soon as the first one is laid, so that 



