158 Mr. W. Eagle Clarke on the 



1903, it was not until October 7th (Oct. 8th in 1904) that 

 the birds commenced to return to their summer-haunts. 

 Over forty were then observed in Scotia Bay, most of them 

 engaged in climbing up the rocks into the old rookeries as if 

 they had come to stay. They were all in plump condition 

 and travelled quickly, most of them moving on their bellies 

 at full speed. On the 10th large bodies were making their 

 way from the open water, and on arriving at the shore 

 clambered up the rocks at once and made for the rookery. 

 A party of these birds, accompanied by some Gentoos, was 

 met en route, and as soon as the Adelies observed the 

 intruders they hurried ahead, moving quickly on their 

 bellies to meet the strangers, and on arriving moderately 

 near they stood up, threw back their heads, and loudly 

 screeched defiance ; but they retreated on being approached, 

 scuttling off in the prone position at full speed, followed by 

 the more timid Gentoos. 



Mr. Mossman noted that in the springs of 1903 and 

 1904 the first great arrivals of Penguins took place imme- 

 diately after the last cold snap of the season. 



At Laurie I. 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 I. (Plate VIII. fig. 1), 

 and there were smaller though still extensive rookeries on the 

 west side of Scotia Bay, on Delta Island, Point Kae, and on 

 Watson and Pirie Peninsulas, with numerous lesser settle- 

 ments 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 



