158 BIRDS OF TIEKHA DEL FUEGO 



rearing their young. They were very valiant in self-defence, 



and ran open-riiouthed, by dozens, at any one who invaded their 



territory, little knowing how soon a stick could scatter them on 



the ground. The young were good eating, but the others proved 



to be black and tough, when cooked. The manner in which they 



feed their young is curious, and rather amusing. The old bird 



gets on a little eminence, and makes a great noise (between 



quacking and braying), holding its head up in the air, as if it 



were haranguing the penguinnery, while the young one stands 



close to it, but a little lower. The old bird having continued its 



clatter for about a minute, puts its head down, and opens its 



mouth widel}^, into which the young one thrusts its head, and 



then appears to suck from the throat of its mother for a minute 



or two, after which the clatter is repeated, and the young one is 



again fed; this continues for about ten minutes. 1 observed 



some which were moulting make the same noise, and then 



apparently swallow what they thus furnished themselves with ; 



so in this way I suppose they are furnished with subsistence 



during the time they cannot seek it in the water." 



Of the Jackass in the Falkland Islands, Abbott says it is 

 the first of its kind to arrive for breeding, and commences 

 laying, almost to a day, on the 7th of October. Some few, 

 however, are found on the shores of these islands the whole 

 year, which is not the case with any other Penguin. " It has 

 been asserted," he adds, " that these birds crawl on all fours to 

 their breeding places. This is not the case ; they walk upright, 

 and it is only when they are frightened and hard-pressed, that 

 they lose their balance, fall forward, and then make use of their 

 fins and legs to get out of harm's way." 



Printed for Bernabd Quabitch, 11 Grafton Street, London, W., by G. Nobman and Son, 



Floral Street, Ccveul Garden, London, W.C. 



