FLESH FOOD FURNISHED BY THE FEATHERED TRIBES. 183 



said to resemble that of the leveret in colour and taste, 

 with some of the flavour of a wild fowl. 



Young penguins are good eating, but the old ones are 

 dark and tough when cooked. A voyager says : — 



" The flesh of the penguin is black, and has rather 

 a perfumed taste. We ate of them several times in 

 ragouts, which we found to be as good as those made of 

 hare."* 



The penguins form regular rookeries, or perhaps they 

 may be more correctly termed " penguineries," sometimes 

 situated even miles from the shore and far removed from 

 salt water. The breeding places are often of as great an 

 extent as 500 yards by 50, the eggs being placed so close 

 together that it is impossible to walk without treading 

 on them. 



Young puffins (Fratercula aretica, Lin.), though exces- 

 sively rank from feeding on sprats and seaweed, are 

 pickled and preserved with spices, and by some people 

 are much admired. 



* " Journal of a Voyage to the Falkland Islands." 



