Penguins. 57 



troubled seas, moving their power- 

 ful webbed feet and their fin-like 

 wings until their bodies are pro- 

 pelled as fast as the fish themselves. 

 It is even declared to be a fact that, 

 in times of severe storm, they can 

 dive to the bottom of the sea, where, 

 amongst beds of coral and fields of 

 sea-weeds, they can wander and 

 feed in comparative quiet Of 

 course they have to come often to 

 the surface for a mouthful of air; 

 but so have whales and seals and 

 other lung-breathing creatures. 



They are very sociable, and appear 

 to lead a merry sort of life, bravely 

 facing hardship and danger, and 

 slipping in and out of difficulties 

 without "turning a feather." Per- 

 haps their scaly feathers do not 

 easily turn, and the dangers of the 

 lonely and terrible seas do not seem 

 awful to them. They may be seen 

 sitting standing is a better term for 

 that attitude of theirs on the edges 



