240 THE OCEAN. 



birds are perhaps not surpassed even by the pea- 

 cock, to which, in beauty of plumage, they are indeed 

 very little inferior. During the time of moulting, 

 they seem to repel each other with disgust, on 

 account of the ragged state of their coats; but as they 

 arrive at the maximum of splendour, they re-assem- 

 ble, and no one who has not completed his plumage 

 is allowed to enter the community. Their frequently 

 looking down their front and sides, in order to con- . 

 template the perfection of their exterior brilliancy, 

 and to remove any speck which might sully it, is 

 truly amusing to an observer. 



"About the beginning of January they pair and 

 lay their eggs. During the time of hatching, the 

 male is remarkably assiduous, so that when the hen 

 has occasion to go off to feed and wash, the egg is 

 transported to him; which is done by placing their 

 toes together, and rolling it from the one to the 

 other, using their beaks to place it properly. As 

 they have no nest, it is to be remarked that the egg 

 is carried between the tail and legs, where the female, 

 in particular, has a cavity for the purpose. 



"The hen keeps charge of her young nearly a 

 twelvemonth, during which time they change and 

 complete their plumage; and in teaching them to 

 swim, the mother has frequently to use some arti- 

 fice; for when the 3 r oung one refuses to take the 

 water, she entices it to the side of a rock and cun- 

 ningly pushes it in; and this is repeated until it takes 

 the sea of its own accord."* All the species arc 

 arrant thieves, each losing no opportunity of stealing 



* Voyage towards the South Pole, p. 55. 



