236 TIIE OCEAN. 



up in white aprons, from their white bellies contrast- 

 ing with their blue backs. The presence of these 

 birds is described as greatly increasing the dreary 

 character of these desolate regions ; their perfect 

 indiiference to man conveying an almost awful im- 

 pression of their loneliness. The intrusion of sea- 

 men even into the very midst of them causes no 

 alarm; no resistance is offered, no escape is attempted; 

 the birds immediately gaze around with a sidelong 

 glance at the visitors, but they move not from their 

 eggs, standing quietly while their companions are 

 one by one knocked on the head, and waiting with- 

 out dread till their own turn comes. We can scarcely 

 form an adequate idea of one of these camps or 

 towns, as they have been appropriately called. A 

 space of ground, covering three or four acres, is laid 

 out and levelled, and then divided into squares for 

 the nests, as accurately as if done by a surveyor : 

 between these compartments they march and coun- 

 termarch with an order and regularity that remind 

 one of soldiers on parade. But what shall we say to 

 a colony of these birds, the King Penguin (Apteno- 

 dytes pataehonka), which was seen by Mr. G. Ben- 

 nett, on Macquarie Island? It covered thirty or 

 forty acres; and though no conjecture could possibly 

 be formed of the number of birds composing the 

 town, yet some notion of its amazing amount may 

 be given from the fact, that during the whole day 

 and night 30,000 or 40,000 are continually binding, 

 and as many going to sea. There -are three principal 

 species, which inhabit the southern portion •>[" the 

 globe, which bear great resemblance to eacli other 



