214 ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. 



change. He says*^ without mentioning, as he usually 

 does, his authority, that it " inhabits Falkland Islands, 

 and Staten Land, where it is seen in pairs, though some- 

 times' in large flocks. From the shortness of its wings, 

 this bird is unable to fly (?); but it makes considerable 

 use of them when in the water, on which it seems, as 

 it were, to run ; at least, it swims, with the assistance 

 of the wings used as oars, at an incredible rate, so 

 that in such situations it becomes extremely difficult to 

 shoot these birds. To remedy this, the sailors used to 

 surround a flock with boats, and drive them ashore ; 

 where, unable to raise themselves from the ground, they 

 ran very fast : but soon growing tired, and squatting 

 down to rest, they were easily overtaken and knocked 

 down with sticks. The flesh was sometimes eaten by 

 the sailors, in defect of that of the bustard goose; but 

 was not much relished, being rank and fishy; it was 

 thought, in fact, more proper for the hogs, which, after 

 it had been boiled in the copper, ate it up greedily, and 

 fattened well (upon it)." 



Such is the strange account which the doctor gives 

 of its manners ; and we shall now transcribe what he 

 says of its plumage ; observing, by the way, that no 

 figure of it has yet been published. 



" Length thirty-two inches : weight from twenty to 



thirty pounds. Bill three inches long ; colour orange ; 



the top of the upper mandible brown at the base, and 



black at the tip : irides orange, surrounded with black, 



and again with orange : head and neck deep ash-colour; 



upper "part of the body much the same : the edge of 



the secondary quills white, forming a band of the same 



on the wing : under parts of the body dusky down 



the middle ; over the thighs cinereous blue : vent white: 



quills and tail black ; the last short, and pointed in 



shape ; the wings are likewise very short, not reaching 



to the rump ; on the bend of the wing a double yellow 



knob, half an inch in length : legs brownish orange : 



webs dusky : claws black." 



* Gen. Hist, of Birds, x. 226. Can this be some species of penguin with 

 a broad bill ? 



