Penguins. 61 



lank and attenuated, mere "rickles 

 of bones," while their bantlings on 

 the rocks are fat as tiny pigs. 



Young Penguins take an enormous 

 time to grow up. They keep their 

 baby-clothes (their immature downi- 

 ness) for two or three months, and 

 all this time their parents slave for 

 them and adore them. Suddenly 

 they blossom out into all the glory 

 of adult plumage : their tails extend 

 into stiff points of rigid feathers; 

 their wings are covered with scale- 

 like plumes ; the yellow streaks dawn 

 upon their heads ; the oily layers of 

 dusky blue clothe their robust 

 shoulders. 



And then their education begins. 



They have lived all this time on 

 the rocks, pampered and catered 

 for ; now the time has come for 

 them to face life in earnest. 



The sea is to be henceforth their 

 fishing-field, their play-ground, their 

 chief abiding place. 



