274 FLIGHTLESS DIVERS 



like arms, and its queer manner of talking, scolding and pry- 

 ing into man's affairs makes this bird seem more like a feath- 

 ered caricature of a big, fat human being than an ordinary 

 diving bird. Its head is black, its abdomen is white and its 

 legs and feet are feathered quite down to the claws. The 

 wings are covered with feathers that are more like fish-scales 

 than feathers, and the feathers of the back also are very close 

 and scale-like. 



To a naturalist or bird-lover, the sight of great flocks of 

 Emperor Penguins, and of the smaller Pack Penguins, on the 

 antarctic ice-floes, must be sufficient to repay the explorer 

 for many of the long, dark hours of the voyage that is re- 

 quired to reach their haunts. The breeding and nesting 

 habits of the antarctic penguins constitute one of the per- 

 petual marvels of bird life. 



I have seen and heard the Black-Footed Penguin, 1 of 

 South Africa, scold and complain in a most human-like man- 

 ner. On land, or on an ice-floe, this bird is so awkward and 

 helpless that any bloodthirsty observer can walk up and kill 

 it with a stick. Place it in water, however, and what a 

 transformation! Immediately it will give an exhibition of 

 diving which is astonishing. 



In an instant a waddling, slow-moving, almost helpless 

 bird is transformed into a feathered seal. With its feet 

 floating straight behind, and of no use save in .steering, it points 

 its beak and head straight forward, and swims wholly with 

 its wings. Those flipper-like members reach forward simul- 

 taneously, work in perfect unison, and strike the water like 



1 Sphe-nis'cus dc-mer'sus. 



