Aves. 



131 



dozen. On approaching the former nests, the occupants generally 

 modestly retreated before the intruder, but on approaching the 

 latter — the lazy ones with absolutely nothing to boast about — they 

 made an enormous fuss and rushed at you to bluff you away with 

 their own prowess ! It was laughable to watch how they pilfered 

 stones from each other's nests ; they are most shameless thieves. 

 The thief slowly approaches the one he wishes to rob with a most 

 creditable air of nonchalance and disinterestedness, and if, on getting 

 close the other looks at him suspiciously, he will immediately gaze 

 around most childlike and bland, and appear to be admiring the 

 scenery. The assumption of innocence is perfect ; but no sooner 

 does the other look in a different direction, than he will dart down 

 upon one of the pebbles of its nest and scamper away with it in his 

 beak as fast as his little legs will bear his fat body. If the theft is 

 discovered, the injured party will give chase ; then all the kind and 

 sympathetic neighbours rush in and rob to their heart's desire ! 



" Woe to the foolish Penguin that rambles about in a restless 

 fashion among the community ; before making his escape outside the 

 circle he will have left behind a large quantity of his plumage, with 

 which the others will feather their nests ; he must either have a 

 home, i.e., a nest, or keep quiet on the outside of the circle if he 

 wishes to be left alone ; that is a sine qua non among them. The 

 females generally fought whilst sitting in the nest by stretching out 

 their necks and pecking at each other's tongues ; but the males 

 fought in the orthodox and picturesque human fashion, with their 

 arms, that is to say, their flippers, and their teeth, that is to say, 

 their beaks. The pugilists stand erect and deal each other resound- 

 ing blows with their flippers, first one and then, the other, with 

 astonishing rapidity. When one is knocked down the beak of his 

 opponent is brought into play with no slight effect. The females 

 rise from their nests and try to intervene and separate them, 

 repeatedly getting between the combatants and moving their heads 

 rapidly from side to side in protestation. I have seen the females 

 drive the least attractive fighter right out of the circle, but, quite 

 unabashed, he would at once rush back to his antagonist, and the 

 fray would commence again. These fights lasted as long as a quarter 

 of an hour, in fact, they were not terminated until one was com- 

 pletely conquered. The vanquished bird generally presented a 

 pitiful appearance, being covered with gore and devoid of much of 

 his plumage, and it took him some days to recover his equilibrium. 

 The din that those thousands of Penguins made was deafening, and 

 was like the roar of a vast multitude of people. 



K 2 



