146 Littler, A Trip to Ninth Island, Bass Strait. [isf "jan 



ing on Ninth Island on the 22nd September, we found only a few 

 burrows occupied either by a single bird or by a pair. During 

 our stay the birds increased until there must have been a few 

 thousand on the island every night, and a couple of hundred during 

 the day. A pair that had taken up their abode among the stones 

 of the foundation of the hut, and were kept under the closest 

 observation, never left their retreat for 60 hours. During the 

 day they remained silent, but towards evening the male com- 

 menced to croon, and later on both birds joined in the general 

 discord reigning over the island. It was found that the first bird 

 came up from the sea at 6.30 p.m., the party at each landing- 

 place at first consisting of about a dozen birds ; these would sit 

 on the rocks preening their feathers. At 6.35 the first real 

 contingent would arrive, at 6.40 the second, and at 6.45 the 

 third and last. When all the Penguins had landed and more or 

 less preened themselves, a commencement would be made over 

 the rocks to the rookeries on the top or sides of the island. On 

 no occasion were any birds seen to move inland until the last 

 bird of the last batch was up on the rocks. Also night after 

 night, rough or smooth, the various batches arrived punctually 

 to time. On a calm evening the birds could be seen moving 

 through the water some 500 or 600 yards from the shore, where 

 they showed as a ripple on the surface. As the birds came 

 closer their heads could be distinguished just above the surface. 

 It was usual for them to wait until a roller washed them on to 

 the low rocks at their landing-places ; then, before the backwash 

 had time to carry them away, they would rapidly scramble to 

 safety, using feet, flippers, and bills. One evening a party of 

 birds was slightly late, and they seemed to know it, for the 

 speed with which they came through the water was truly 

 astonishing ; they gave one the impression of miniature 

 torpedoes. So well did they make up for lost time that they 

 were but a few seconds behind schedule time. On some even- 

 ings no sound was uttered by the birds either when moving 

 through the water or after landing and on their way towards the 

 rookeries. On other occasions, a short, sharp barking note was 

 uttered. To see what would happen, a batch was driven back 

 into the water one evening ; they tumbled in like so many Ducks, 

 and uttered a note closely resembling the quack of those birds. 

 They were soon ashore again, however. Penguins when first 

 issuing from the water have the appearance of the proverbial 

 drowned rats, but they dry rapidly. Almost invariably progress 

 was made to the rookeries in silence. We noted that by 6.50 p.m. 

 a few birds had commenced calling. A variety of notes are 

 uttered by both sexes, varying from mewing to bleating and 

 squeaking. The male bird utters a deeper note than the female. 

 When the former is courting and uttering deep notes, the female 

 is giving vent to hoarse purring sounds. These sounds are 



