'"igio^ 1 NiCHOLLs, Notes OH the Crested Penguin: 43 



steps, but he had to get up about 12 inches on to a landing, 

 and this he accompHshed by a spring. I never saw him breach 

 out of the water and land upright, as is the practice of the King 

 and Emperor Penguins. At times I assisted him with a straw 

 broom. The end was placed in the water, and "i^illy " would 

 scramble on to it to be lifted high and dry. This performance 

 was always greeted with cheers from the visitors, and a more 

 laughable spectacle than the Penguin perched serenely on the 

 broom it would be hard to imagine. " Billy's " fondness for 

 fresh water was curious. For hours at a time he would stand 

 under a running tap, but his greatest delight was to accompany 

 the bathers to the shower-bath. He soon got to know the sound 

 of the failing water, and no matter how many times a day the 

 bath was used " Billy " was always there. The greater the 

 force of the shower the better he liked it, and from time to time 

 he would stretch himself full length on the floor, shuffling and 

 " squawking " with pleasure as the water splashed upon him. 

 When taken down to the sea " Billy," contrary to expectation, 

 refused to enter the water, but made off " home " across the 

 sands as fast as his little pattering feet would carry him. He 

 usually walked one foot after another, but when wishing to 

 quicken his pace would hop along. Eventually he became so 

 tame that he would follow like a dog, and his quaint mode of 

 progression and method of jumping up and down flights of steps 

 and stairs were a source of much amusement. 



One morning " Billy" followed some bathers to the beach, a 

 distance of about half a mile from the house. He made stren- 

 uous efforts to keep up with the party going across the loose 

 sand, but, finding himself being left behind, uttered such loud 

 "squawks" of distress that he had to be carried. On reaching 

 the bathing site the members of the party donned their bathing 

 attire and made for the open ocean, with " Billy " following. A 

 heavy surf was running, and as we entered the water " Billy " 

 paused. Wading further and further out we called to him, and he 

 made an attempt to follow, but was swept off his feet and 

 washed ashore by the foaming water, which was not more than 

 8 or 9 inches deep. At length, after being knocked down 

 and buffeted by several successive waves he managed to struggle 

 into water about a foot deep, and then, swimming swiftly, shot 

 like an arrow towards us. Once in the breakers the bird had all 

 the best of it, and we dived and chased after him through the 

 waves as one might romp with a dog ashore. Tiring of the 

 sport, " Billy " commenced to dive and hunt for fish, and 

 gradually went out to sea. We called to him by name, and, 

 turning his head, he answered once or twice with a loud " squawk," 

 but kept paddling oceanwards all the time. He had suddenly 

 realized that he was once again in the open ocean, and not 

 confined by the four cemented walls of a bath. Late in the 



