THE PENGUINS. 223 



tardy youngsters began to experience the ills of life. Every Penguin that had reached its place 

 before them aimed blows at them as they passed by towards their own abodes. One of the little birds 

 certainly did seem to deserve correction. It saw its neighbour's nest empty and sat down in it. The 

 old female Johnnie, the rightful occupier, presently returned, in company with her own chick, to 

 whom, having put her head well into his mouth, she began to administer refreshment after his run. 

 Seeing them so pleasantly engaged, the small vagrant thoughtlessly, presuming on her generosity, went 

 nearer and presented himself to be fed also, as if he had a right to her attention and care. She 

 looked at him while he stood gaping before her with drooping wings, unable for a moment to credit 

 what she saw. But suddenly the truth flashed upon her, and, provoked by his consummate audacity, 

 she gave vent to her indignation, pecked his tongue as hard as she could, chased him out of the nest, 

 darting blows at his back, and croaked ominously after him as he fled precipitately beyond the range 

 of her beak, leaving trophies of down upon the scene of his unfortunate adventure. The whole of 

 this community of Penguins was subsequently boiled down into 'hare soup' for the officers of H.M.S. 

 Volaye, and very nice they found it. 



" The nests were composed of dried leaf stalks and seed stems of Pringlea, together with such 

 other suitable material as happened to be at hand. There were two eggs in every nest, and one of 

 them was invariably larger than the other. Most likely the birds hatched from the larger eggs are of 

 the opposite sex to those which are produced from the smaller. Whether the big or the little egg is 

 the first to be laid was not ascertained. 



" As is the case with many other kinds of birds, Johnnies are very regular in their habits. Every 

 afternoon at nearly the same time they repair to the shore when they have done fishing, landing in 

 small parties at their accustomed places at the heads of shallow inlets. On issuing from the water 

 they dispose themselves to rest, seldom proceeding beyond the verge of the shore. Those which are 

 inclined to sleep put their heads behind their flippers ; the others stand amongst them with the neck 

 shortened so as to bring the head down close to the body, with the beak slanting upwards and for- 

 wards, somewhat in the manner of a very yoiing Thrush during repose. Their eyes present a rather 

 tearful appearance, and resemble bits of dull black glass set in their heads perhaps the nictitating 

 membrane may be kept drawn over them. At frequent intervals a kind of watery fluid is ejected 

 from their mouths by a shake of the head. I was led to suspect that these Penguins are liable to be 

 attacked by Seals, for in places not much frequented by man, if they once effect a landing they do not 

 readily return to the water on being alarmed, but run away from the sea uphill as fast as they can 

 go. After they have gone some distance, they turn round and look back while they take breath ; but 

 as soon as they are rested sufficiently they willingly resume the ascent. It is not until they have been 

 driven so far as to become thoroughly tired that they refuse to proceed farther, but when this stage 

 lias been reached it is useless to urge them to advance without a pause. As they face about, the 

 sight of the boot ready to push them over is greeted with deprecating sighs, and should this be dis- 

 regarded, and they be sent over upon their backs, as soon as they regain their feet they rush at their 

 driver, launch their bill at his knees, beat their wings furiously against his calves and shins, and make 

 a dash on all-fours down the hill at full speed to regain the sea. When they became accustomed to 

 being chased by men, the Penguins acquired the habit of betaking themselves to the water at the first 

 alarm. A small party of these birds used persistently to land in Observatory Bay every evening at 

 the very time when the men erecting our huts were returning to the ship after their work. Such of 

 the Johnnies as managed to escape being caught one day were sure to reappear the following evening 

 just at the critical time, dragging themselves out of the water to afford sport to the men. By the 

 time that the huts were completed, the survivors were reduced in number to a couple of birds, and 

 there can be little doubt that these would have followed their late companions into the soup-kettle had 

 the putting up of the Observatory occupied one more day. The cry of the Johnnie distantly resembles 

 the short bark of the fox." 



THE THIRTEENTH ORDER OF BIRDS. THE TINAMOUS (CRYPTURI). 



It seems at first sight sti-ange that the Tinamous, so much resembling game-birds in their appear- 

 ance, sho\ild be placed almost at the end of the series of birds, and so far from what would be 

 considered their natural allies ; but in reality they form an extremely interesting group, inter- 



