FAUX A AXD FLORA. 271 



tiornithes), of all birds the most peculiar, and most 

 characteristic of the south polar regions. Their an- 

 terior extremities have assumed the shape of paddles, 

 fitting them admirably for swimming and diving. 

 Although several varieties of them have spread as far 

 as the coasts of Chili and of South Africa, as well as 

 Australia and New Zealand, yet it is in the Antarctic 

 regions where the greatest number and most important 

 varieties occur. Always sitting, standing, or walking in 

 upright posture, as is shown on a reduced scale in many 

 of our illustrations, they give animation to the ice and 

 more or less accessible rocks, where they form large 

 colonies of breeding places. On rocky ground they 

 waddle awkwardly along, but on the ice and on the 

 snow they lie down flat on their belly, and using their 

 paddles as supports they slide forward with such speed 

 that a man running can hardly keep up with them. In 

 swimming they show greater skill than any other bird, 

 and inexperienced mariners have often mistaken them 

 for small dolphins. 



The largest species is the king penguin (aptenodytes 

 longirostris), an imposing bird with magnificent plumage. 

 Bruce measured specimens of this species, and found 

 them to be when standing 4 ft. 6 in. high, and up- 

 wards of 4 ft. in circumference ; they weighed from 55 

 lb. to 66 lb. or more. The creature possesses great 

 tenacity, and exhibits an unsuspected physical strength. 

 Five men were scarcely able to hold down a king pen- 

 guin chased by Bruce. The king penguin is, however, 

 not very common, being in this respect far surpassed 

 by the Gentoo penguin {pygoscelis papud), the bridled 

 penguin {pygoscelis ant arc tic a), and the macaroni {endyptes 

 chrysolophus'), which are very numerous in South Georgia, 

 and in still higher latitudes. 



Farther north the chionis, stormy petrels and penguins 

 are joined by cormorants, and in South Georgia by a 



