240 THE OCEAN. 
birds are perhaps not surpassed even by the pea- 
cock, to which, in beauty of plumage, they are indeed 
very little inferior. During the time of moulting, 
they seem to repel each other with disgust, on 
account of the ragged state of their coats; but as they 
arrive at the maximum of splendour, they re-assem- 
ble, and no one who has not completed his plumage 
is allowed to enter the community. Their frequently 
looking down their front and sides, in order to con- 
template the perfection of their exterior brilliancy, 
and to remove any speck which might sully it, is 
truly amusing to an observer. 
“About the beginning of January they pair and 
lay their eggs. During the time of hatching, the 
male is remarkably assiduous, so that when the hen 
“has occasion to go off to feed and wash, the egg is 
transported to him; which is done by placing their 
toes. together, and rolling it from the one to the 
other, using their beaks to place it properly. As 
they have no nest, it is to be remarked that the egg 
is carried between the tail and legs, where the female, 
in particular, has a cavity for the purpose. 
“The hen keeps charge of her young nearly a 
twelvemonth, during which time they change and 
complete their plumage; and in teaching them to 
swim, the mother has frequently to use some arti- 
fice; for when the young one refuses to take the 
water, she entices it to the side of a rock and cun- 
ningly pushes it in; and this is repeated until it takes 
the sea of its own accord.”* All the species are 
arrant thieves, each losing no opportunity of stealing 
* Voyage towards the South Pole, p. 55. 
