THE PENGUIN. 215 



close before me, erect, and determined. When thus 

 opposed, he continually rolled his head from side to 

 side, in a very odd manner, as if the power of vision 

 only lay in the anterior and back part of each eye. 



The bird is commonly called the Jackass Penguin, 

 from its habit, while on shore, of throwing its head 

 backwards, and making a loud, strange noise, very like 

 the braying of that animal. When at sea and fishing, 

 it comes to the surface for the purpose of breathing, 

 with such a spring, and dives again so instantaneously, 

 that I defy any one at first sight to be sure that it is 

 not a fish leaping for sport. 



Vast multitudes of these birds herd together, and 

 so regular is their arrangement, and so still their 

 attitude, to which allusion has already been made, 

 that they have more than once been mistaken for 

 regiments of disciplined soldiers, drawn up at " at- 

 tention ! " 



The extraordinary noise which they make soon 

 dissipates the deception, by means of the ear. Not 

 only do they produce that remarkable sound which has 

 earned for one species the popular title of " jackass/' 

 but both parents and child are very noisy when the 

 latter is being fed. Perhaps my readers may have 

 heard the loud, chattering sounds which are produced 

 by starlings under the same circumstances ; and if so, 

 they can comprehend what a noise can be made by the 

 Penguin, with its superior power of vocalization. 

 The mother bird always precedes the act of giving 

 the food with a loud clattering sound, which lasts for 

 about a minute ; and after the food has been given, 

 makes a similar clatter. Captain Fitzroy, who saw 



