330 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Emperor Penguin. 



pounds. They are remarkably stupid, and allow you to 

 approach them as near as to strike them on the head witli a 

 bludgeon, and sometimes, if knocked off the ice into the 

 Avater, they will almost immediately leap upon it again, as if 

 to attack you, but without the smallest means either of 

 offence or defence. They were first discovered during Cap- 

 tain Cook's voyage to these regions, and the beautiful un- 

 published drawing of Forster, the naturalist, has supplied 

 the only figures and accounts which have heen given to the 

 public, both by British and foreign writers on natural history. 

 Mr. Gray has, therefore, named it in the ' Zoology ' of our 

 voyage, Aptenudytes forsteri, of which we were fortunate in 

 bringing the first perfect specimens to England. Some of 

 these were preserved entire in casks of strong pickle, that 

 the physiologist and comparative anatomist might have an 

 opportunity of thoroughly examining the structure of this 

 wonderful creature. Its principal food consists of various 

 species of cancri and other crustaceous animals ; and in its 

 stomach we frequently found from two to ten pounds' weight 

 of pebbles, consisting of granite, quartz, and trappcan rocks. 

 Its capture afforded great amusement to our people, for when 

 alarmed and endeavouriug to escape, it makes its way over 

 deep snow faster than they could follow it ; by lying down 

 on its belly and impelling itself by its powerful feet, it slides 

 along upon the surface of the snow at a great pace, steadying 

 itself by extending its fin-like wings, which alternately touch 

 the ground on the side opposite to the propelling leg. The 

 most successful of our hunters were Mr. Oakley and Mr. 

 Abernethy, as they were also in the capture of the seals, 

 which we met with in no great numbers." 



Again, on Feb. 5th, 1841, in lat. 77° 18' S. and long. 193° E., 

 when the expedition was not far from the South Polar Ice- 

 barrier, we read (Ross's Voy. i. p. 23-1) : — " We saw several 

 of the large Penguins, and three were brought on board ; 

 they were very powerful birds, and we had some difficulty in 

 killing them : each of the two larger weighed sixty-six 

 pounds, and the smallest fifty-seven pounds : their flesh is 

 very dark^ and of a rank fishy flavour." 



