PENGUIN ROOKERIES 



from each other instead of being fused into a single 

 piece, as in other birds. The penguin, when at home 

 on shore, dwells in " rookeries." These differ from the 

 rookeries of rooks by being situated on the ground, 

 though the individual nests are carefully made by each 

 bird out of plants. These " nurseries " are placed 

 away from the common dwelling places of the rest. 

 The rookeries, like those of old London, are a pande- 

 monium of noise at times, which is described as being 

 like the barking of myriad dogs in many keys. The 

 penguin has also the weird habit of rising out of the 

 water and saying " Whaat " in a sepulchral tone. The 

 largest penguin is the great Aptenodytes pennanti, 

 called after Gilbert White's correspondent, known as 

 a naturalist, but better as an historian of London. 

 This bird reaches a total length of three feet. But 

 it was eclipsed by a giant, now extinct, of five feet in 

 length known as Palceospheniscus, which once in 

 habited New Zealand. It is useless to tempt the 

 penguin with buns. Fish is its only food, which it 

 pursues living and catches with ease and in a somewhat 

 different way to the darter, who transfixes the prey 

 when caught and catches it again. 



220 



