VoK ^x. 1 NicHOLLS, Nofes on the Crested Penguin. 4I 



Notes on the Crested Penguin (Catarrhactes 



chrysocome). 



By E. Brooke Nicholls, Melbourne. 



{Rend before the Bird Observers' Cluf)., i8f/i May, 1910.) 

 In the April (1910) issue of T/ie Emu, Mr. H. Stuart Dove 

 described " How the Penguin Fishes." He notes " the deliberate 

 movements of the wings when the bird is under water," and also 

 the way in which the legs and feet are used as a helm or rudder. 

 Again he mentions how " the light blue of the back shows 

 up in the sunlight " when the bird is on the water. I have 

 made similar observations in regard to the Crested Penguin 

 {Catarrhactes chrysocome). This bird, although a stranger to Aus- 

 tralian waters, has been seen occasionally on our shores. Last 

 year Mr. Conigrave recorded it from Rottnest Island, Western 

 Australia. In February, 1910, a specimen made its appearance on 

 the beach aLXorne. When first seen by the members of a cray- 

 fishing party it was on the rocks at the water's edge. It was in 

 a plump and thriving condition, and evidently none the worse 

 for its long journey from New Zealand. After watching it for 

 some time, the members of the party decided to let the Penguin 

 remain where it was. On returning to camp, where the billy 

 was boiling for afternoon tea, they found that the bird had 

 followed them over some hundreds of yards of rocks and sand, 

 so they promptly put it in a " tucker " bag, and carried it home 

 to " Erskine House." The Penguin was domiciled in a large 

 sea-bath, about 20 yards square, and there it lived for six weeks. 

 For the first fortnight the captive was very savage, and spent 

 most of its time in the dark recesses of a bathing-box, where it 

 underwent a complete moult. During this period it would not 

 enter the water, and when thrown in quickly came out again. 

 The moult finished with the head, and some of the discarded 

 crest feathers measured as much as 4 inches in length. After 

 the moult the Penguin looked a handsome bird, and the colour 

 of the new crest was bright sulphur-yellow. The bird had no 

 power of erecting this crest, but at times, when teased, the 

 feathers of the head showed up slightly. When seen in the 

 bright sunlight the plumage on the upper surface appeared of a 

 dull leaden colour, but immediately upon the bird entering the 

 water the feathers began to glisten, and assumed a rich royal 

 blue tint, as observed by Mr. Dove in the case of the Little 

 Penguin {Eudyptula viinor). This change in colour is due to 

 an iridescence reflected by the oil which the skin begins to 

 secrete upon the bird entering the water. The oil-glands of 

 Penguins are, I believe, far larger than in any other class of 

 birds. In the Little Penguin they are shaped like a "jelly bean" 

 lolly, and measure about three-quarters of an inch in length. 

 After our Penguin had been swimming for some time, I noticed 



