134 NicHOLLS, Study of Penguins on The Nobbies. Vic. [,^^""1",^ 



In handling the birds in the burrows, it was found that the 

 young birds were softer-voiced and made fewer attempts at 

 pecking than the older birds. The " fat " adult unmoulted birds 

 (type " B ") were very savage and shrill of voice. When brought 

 out into the open, in the sun, they commenced to pant, and, like 

 Falstaff, they could be well described as being " fat, and short, 

 and scant of breath." The moulted birds, on the other hand, 

 were far less irritable. Their fortnight's fast, and loss of fat and 

 feathers, no doubt had something to do with their quietness. 



On our last afternoon, after the arrival of the vehicle which 

 was to take us back to Cowes, we saw a rabbit, chased by a dog, 

 run into a burrow. Upon investigation a Penguin was found 

 there also. The rabbit was huddled in behind the bird, fur and 

 feather rubbing shoulder to shoulder. Both were easily reached. 

 The driver pulled out the rabbit ; the driver's dog immediately 

 jumped at it, but refused to look at the Penguin. We replaced 

 the bird in the burrow, and it was only after a lot of coaxing and 

 " sooling on " that we could get the dog to look at the burrow. 

 He positively refused to poke his nose in at the entrance, and his 

 whole demeanour spoke eloquently of a long acquaintance with and 

 a vast respect for Penguins in general and this one in particular. 

 We wondered if the half-wild cats, several of which were seen at 

 the Shelly Beach rookery, had the same fear of the birds. This 

 Penguin was one of the few examined on the side of the rookery 

 facing Cape Woolamai. It belonged to type " B," and was just 

 commencing to moult. Its burrow was on the highest point of 

 a steep cliff overlooking a rocky beach. The nearest landing- 

 place for the bird was three-quarters of a mile from the burrow. 

 Upon inquiry, the driver stated that he knew of another large 

 rookery a mile or two away. We had no time to examine 

 it. 



We did not attempt to calculate the area of this headland, as 

 we hope to make a more detailed examination later ; but at the 

 lowest computation it is six times the area of the Shelly Beach 

 rookery. The birds are not so thick upon it as at the Little 

 Nobby and Shelly Beach ; but, allowing for that and for the other 

 rookeries yet to be examined, it is probable that • the Penguins 

 on Phillip Island may number some 40,000 to 50,000.* This is 

 the last stronghold of these birds, upon what is practically our 

 mainland. All the other known large rookeries are placed in 

 islands off the coast, mainly in the Bass Strait. 



As an asset to the residents of Phillip Island and to the Victorian 

 Tourist Bureau, its value is unknown and unguessed. Perhaps it 

 is better so. But it is unjust and unwise that these Penguins are 

 not found upon the list of our protected birds. They are not even 

 partially protected. It is only a matter of a few years, and they 

 will be driven away by increasing settlement and indifferent 

 fishermen, who now use them as bait for their crayfish pots. 



*A second visit during the Christmas of 1917 revealed many further 

 rookeries and a much greater number of birds. The Penguins on PhiUip 

 Island probably number close upon 200,000, including young birds. 



