49 [Vol. xr. 



" Shortly after my return from the Falkland Isles in the 

 spring of 1901 I called on Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, of the 

 British Museum, and left with him a few fragments of 

 scratched rocks from a Penguin-rookery, and also a pair of 

 Penguin's feet. At the same time I pointed out to him how 

 the nails on the feet of these birds fitted the markings. 

 Some time later I sent him a large slab of rock deeply 

 scarred by Penguins' feet. 



(C On 24th April, 1904, 1 received the following letter from 

 Dr. Sharpe : — . . . ' When I got back from the West Indies 

 I found the nice block of scored stone you had got for us, 

 but I did not feel so sure about the marks being the work of 

 Penguins' feet. We therefore held an inquest on it, and I 

 got the rock-experts and geologists here to give me their 

 opinion, which was unanimous that the streaks on the rock 

 are natural, and caused by the action of the sea, and pro- 

 bably by sea-weed decomposing on the rock. They would be 

 glad to have the slab as a specimen in the Geological Depart- 

 ment, if you will let me transfer it there.' Later, 22nd 

 August, 1904, Dr. Sharpe wrote as follows in answer to my 

 reply to his letter : — ' As regards the rocks and the Penguin's 

 feet, we have them still and should not think of parting with 

 them. The question cannot be regarded as settled yet, and 

 I shall be very pleased to have further evidence pro or con.' 

 "The enclosed photograph (fig. 1) shows very well the 

 usual position of a Penguin when resting on a rock. You 

 will notice that the nails are in actual contact with the rock, 

 and that any movement made by the bird in the foreground 

 would at once serve to bring the nails in closer contact with 

 its surface. 



" The usual position of a bird of this species when walking 

 up an inclined plane is better shown in fig. 2, which repre- 

 sents the landing-place at the foot of a Penguin-rookery. 

 Here the actual position of the birds can be observed. 

 They can be seen leaning forward and throwing the weight 

 of their bodies on the toe-nails. Frequently the gangway 

 used by these birds when passing to and from their nests 

 winds between two vertical rocks, or through a gap in the 



