ADELIE PENGUINS 



besides which, in many cases, the ledge of ice on 

 which they landed projected many feet forwards 

 from the surface, yet I never saw them misjudge 

 their distance so as to come up under the over- 

 hanging ledge. 



During their approach they swam at an even 

 distance of about three or four feet beneath the 

 surface, projecting themselves upwards by a sudden 

 upward bend of the body, at the same time using 

 their tail as a helm, in the manner well shown in 

 one of my photographs, in which one of the 

 birds is seen in the air at the moment it left the 

 water, the tail being bent sharply up towards the 

 back. 



Their quickness of perception is shown very well 

 as they land on the ice. If the surface is composed 

 of snow, and so affords them a good foothold, they 

 throw their legs well forward and land on their 

 feet, as shown in Figs. 41 and 42, but should they 

 find themselves landing on a slippery ice-surface, 

 they throw themselves forward, landing on their 

 breasts in the tobogganing position as shown in 

 Fig. 43. 



The Adelies dive very beautifully. We did not 

 see this at first, before the sea-ice had gone out, 

 because to enter the water they had only to drop 

 82 



