THE FASTING PERIOD 



scene enacted when nesting was in progress. The 

 two might be squatting by the nest when one would 

 arise to assume the "ecstatic" attitude and make 

 the gutteral sounds in its syrinx. Immediately 

 the other would get close up to it and make the 

 following noise in a soft soothing tone : 



A -ah 



Always and immediately this caused the musician 

 to subside and settle itself down again. 

 The King penguin at the Zoological Gardens, 

 whose sex is unknown, throws itself into the 

 ecstatic attitude and sings a sort of song when its 

 keeper strokes its neck. The blackfooted penguins 

 never do it, though they breed several times a year. 

 Figs. 26 and 32 show Adelies in ecstatic attitude. 



To-day about a dozen skua gulls (Megakstris 

 Makormiki) appeared for the first time. They did 

 not start to nest, but sat on the sea-ice with a 

 group of penguins, in apparent amity. A few 

 occasionally flew about over the rookery. 



On October 27 though the stream of arrivals 

 continued there were wide gaps in it. It appeared 



47 



