Penguins. 55 



are men who act exceedingly after 

 the manner of beasts; and beasts 

 who might be confounded with 

 men, had they only the gift of 

 speech !) 



To-day I am going to write of 

 one of these strange creatures the 

 fish-like bird. And I would advise 

 such of my readers who happen to 

 be within reach of the Zoological 

 Society's Gardens to go there on 

 the first opportunity, and, entering 

 the aquarium, ask the keeper to 

 show them not his fish, but his 

 Penguin. 



It is an odd little oily, sharp-eyed 

 thing, and scuttles over the floor in 

 a way that shows it was not formed 

 for floors ; nor, indeed, for any one 

 of the conditions under which it has 

 to exist in London. 



Its true home is in the great 

 South Pacific Ocean, where its 

 family, and its near cousins (the 

 King-penguins) live in enormous 



