6 MR. A. D. BARTI.KTT ON HUMBOLDt's PENGUIN. [Jail. 14, 



1. Remarks upon the Habits and Change of Plumage of 

 Humboldt's Penguin. By A. D. Bartlett, Superin- 

 tendent of the Society's Gardens. 



[Eeceived November 13, 1878.] 



On the 24tli of January, 1878, a specimen of Humboldt's Penguin 

 [Spheniscus humholdti) was purchased from a dealer in Liverpool. 

 Tlie bird was in poor condition when received, and very dirty, but 

 perfectly tame, following one about, and seeming pleased to be taken 

 on tbe lap and nursed like an infant. At first it required to be 

 fed by hand ; for if its food was placed on the ground the bird took 

 no notice of it, although lunigry. After a few days, if living fishes 

 were tlnow)i to it and the bird saw them jumping about on the floor, 

 it began to pick up the fishes and swallow them. From this and 

 from the colour and condition of its plumage, I have no doubt that 

 the bird had been reared from the nest, and liad never previously 

 fed itself. 



It was some days before tbe Penguin ventured into the water ; but 

 after the first wash tbe bird rapidly improved : the feathers became 

 clean ; its appetite increased ; and it passed much time in the water, 

 evidently gaining strength and weight. About this time it 

 frequently uttered its loud braj'ing jackass- like notes, and became 

 fat and in full vigour. Figure 1 (p. 7) gives a very faithful 

 representation of the bird at this time. About the 22nd of 

 February, the bird appeared dull, and with half-closed eyes moped 

 about : it became ill-tempered and spiteful, bit at any one who 

 offered to touch it, and avoided gohig into the water. The bird looked 

 larger than before, its feathers standing out from its body during this 

 condition ; but its appetite continued good, and it fed as freely as 

 usual. 



In a few days the feathers began to fall off from all parts of the 

 bird, not, as birds usually moult, a few feathers at a time, but in large 

 quantities : for instance, the bird generally remained stationary during 

 the niglit, and in the morning there was left round it a circle of 

 cast feathers that had been shed during the night. So rapidly did 

 the process of moulting go on, that by the 7th of March the bird had 

 entirely renewed its plumage, and appeared in the adult dress, as 

 represented in figure 2 (p. 8). The manner in which the flipper-like 

 wings cast off the short scale-like feathers was remarkable : they 

 flaked off like the shedding of the skin of a serpent ; the new feathers 

 benig already plainly visible, tbe old feathers were pushed off by the 

 new ones ; this was very clearly noticeable, as many of the old 

 feathers could be seen still attached to the tips of the new feather?!, 

 so that the bird was entirely covered with its new plumage before the 

 old feathers dropped off. The bird had by these means entirely 

 changed its dress and appearance in certainly less than ten days. It 

 looked thinner on account of the shortness of its new feathers, and 

 doubtless from a decrease in bulk, consequent upon the rapid deve- 



