228 ORNITHOLOGY OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



At Laurie Island and its off-lying islets no less than fourteen rookeries of Adelie 

 Penguins were discovered. The largest of these was located on the Ferrier Peninsula, 

 which for several miles was simply alive with these birds and some Gentoos, the former 

 being not less than two millions in number. Another vast colony was on Graptolite 

 Island, and there were smaller though still extensive rookeries on the west side 

 of Scotia Bay, on Delta Island, Point Rae. and on Watson and Pirie Peninsulas, 

 with numerous lesser settlements on other parts of the coast and on various small 

 islands. 



The favourite sites for these communities were on plateaux where small stones 

 abounded, and these were sometimes occupied up to 500 feet above sea-level. As the 

 season advanced these rookeries became indescribably dirty, being masses of mud with 

 pools of filth, and the birds themselves became correspondingly defiled. 



At the rookery in Scotia Bay the first signs of nest-building were noted on October 

 10th. By the 20th nearly all were paired, and the appearance of an unpaired bird 

 gave rise to a fearful commotion, every bird trying to get a billful of feathers from the 

 unhappy one, while all the penguins in the vicinity raised their voices and screeched 

 their loudest. The appearance of such wanderers, too, generally resulted in a free fight 

 among those around. 



The nests were heaps of stones deliberately collected one by one from far and near, 

 even from under the snow. They were hollowed in the centre, and lined with some 

 bones of their departed brethren, or with dropped tail-feathers when procurable. Some 

 of the birds sat on the snow until it was thawed down to the stones beneath, and then 

 set to work to form an irregular hollow in which to lay their eggs. A number of the 

 nests became covered with snow, in some cases a foot deep, and several were deserted 

 in consequence. The birds are accomplished thieves, and start their knavish tricks as 

 soon as nest-building commences, but do not entirely desist when the young are 

 hatched, though they then practise them to a lesser extent. 



Three eggs are sometimes laid, but two is the usual number, and not infrequently 

 one only. The first egg of the season was found on October 29th, 1903. On the 

 31st, 739 were gathered on Delta Island, which was covered with these birds. Between 

 November 2nd and 10th, 2075 eggs were taken for domestic use, and as late as the 21st 

 a number were obtained from a small rookery in Scotia Bay. The sitting bird incubates 

 in a procumbent position, the mate standing erect by her side. The period of incuba- 

 tion was ascertained to vary from 31 to 33 days. 



This species is very bold as compared with the Gentoo, and attacks fiercely anyone 

 who enters the rookery. The birds had always to be forcibly evicted from their nests 

 if the eggs were wanted. It was quite a business to go through a rookery unless attired 

 in long sea-boots, and even then the birds sometimes got at the intruder unawares, 

 taking a running jump and fixing on his legs above the boot, whence they were not 

 easily shaken off. Other penguins passing the nests came in for violent assault, and 

 some were seen bleeding, while others were literally pecked to death. An angry bird 



