50 ZOOLOGICAL LOG OF THE SCOTIA 



early in the morning, returning in small bands during the day. No skuas have put in 

 an appearance yet, nor have we seen any shags near the ship, no doubt due to the lack 

 of open water. ,- 



Oct. \4:th. This forenoon a party of us set out for the large penguin rookery to 

 try and get some gentoo penguins. All available places are crowded with penguins, 

 chiefly adelias, only to be numbered by thousands, and as high up as 150 feet above 

 high-water mark. The penguins are still arriving at the rookery in a steady stream, 

 and all the small islets are covered with them. We got two black-throated ones, and 

 seventeen gentoos. There were very few gentoos, but they seemed to have paired off 

 and settled on the rookery. One of the adelias was an immature bird, the throat not 

 yet being black below the gonys, except for a few feathers. Most of them have their 

 nests built, and are engaged in pilfering. Some were treading. While I was killing a 

 black-throated penguin, its mate made a gallant sortie from the nest and attacked me, 

 and was only driven oft' after many brave but fruitless charges on my sea-boots. While 

 sledging the dead, or apparently dead, up to the ship, one of them, a gentoo, got up 

 and scuttled away. 



Snowies, nellies and black-backed gulls. No sign of skuas yet. There are several 

 paddies scattered throughout the penguins, but they apparently are not yet " married." 



Only a few seals seem now to be staying with their mothers ; most have " shoved 

 off on their own." 



Oct. 15th. Snowies and a nelly are reported by Mossman. Nobody has been out 

 at the rookeries. Zoologically it has been a very quiet day. 



Oct. 16th. Went out to the penguin rookeries on the west side of the bay to see if 

 we could get any eggs ; the birds had not commenced to lay. On the way back saw 

 two Weddell seals, both males, fast asleep on the ice. Several snowy petrels, black- 

 backed gulls and nellies were seen. 



Oct. 17th. A. misty day; remained on board all day. Did not see any birds; 

 heard some snowy petrels about the cliffs. 



Oct. 19th. A party, consisting of Brown, Pirie and several others, went out to 

 the penguin rookery to get some penguins for phonographic records. Brown says that 

 as usual, the gentoos, on the approach of the party, were much alarmed, and a body 

 of them left the rookery, whilst the adelias, on the other hand, stayed and showed 

 no concern, unless one walked amongst them, when they did not run, but shrieked 

 defiance. The gentoo's courtship, Brown describes as being very similar to that of the 

 adelia, but in this, as in all their other actions, they are less energetic. When braying, 

 the gentoos assume the same position as an emperor penguin, namely, they stand erect 

 with their heads well back, beaks pointing upwards, and flippers stretched from their 

 sides. Their cry, as that of the emperor, somewhat resembles the bray of a donkey. 

 The gentoo sometimes assumes the same attitude, and apparently indulges in a deep 

 yawn without emitting any sound. The adelias have not yet been observed to have 

 this habit. 



