Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlviii. (1904), No %%. 27 



during all weathers, the water in this natural basin being 

 always smooth. The birds being fairly uniformly dis- 

 tributed over the sides of this amphitheatre, I tried to 

 estimate their numbers, and after careful calculation put 

 the total number of Penguins present from 200,000 to a 

 quarter of a million. On climbing down to the landing 

 place I found a huge sloping rock, very slippery, and 

 partially covered with a species of conferva, beautifully 

 scratched and marked by the constant passage of these 

 birds to and from the sea. With some difficulty I 

 succeeded in breaking off with a hammer and chisel some 

 large fragments from this rock showing these markings, 

 which I took away with me. 



The nests here were made entirely of diddle-dee twigs 

 {Empetrurn rubruin), acres of these bushes growing on the 

 peaty soil on the top of the cliff. These nests were, how- 

 ever, almost obliterated, the breeding season being quite 

 past ; and the birds had almost finished moulting. It 

 was interesting to see a puff of wind come over the cliff 

 from the south-west, and drive a cloud of feathers from 

 these birds like drifting snow. On cautiously grasping 

 by the back of the neck several moulting birds in 

 succession, I found I could remove the old feathers in 

 handfuls. The date of the visit to this rookery was 14th 

 March. In about another three weeks all these occupants 

 would have left the place till October, when they return 

 for breeding. 



The eggs laid by these birds are two in number, oval 

 in outline, and when clean, chalky white. They measure 

 from 65 to 6j mm. in length, and from 48 to 52 mm. in 

 breadth. 



One of the sailors on a schooner gave me, soon after 

 my arrival, a bird's-egg concerning which he could give 

 me no information. I have shewn it to several old 



