ADELIE PENGUINS 



the impression of simply hanging about, waiting 

 for something to "turn up." 



By 4 P.M. there must have been close on a 

 hundred penguins at the rookery. It was a calm 

 day and misty, so that I could not see far out 

 across the sea-ice, but so far it was evident that 

 the birds were not arriving in batches, but just 

 dribbling in. They were then for the most part 

 squatting about the rookery, well scattered, some 

 solitary, others in groups, and facing in all direc- 

 tions. (Fig. 9.) They were not on the promi- 

 nences where the nesting sites are, but in the 

 hollows and on the snow of the frozen lakes. 

 There was no sign of love-making or any activity 

 whatever. All were in fine plumage and con- 

 dition. 



During the night of October 16 the number of 

 penguins increased greatly, and on the morning of 

 the 17th there was a thin sprinkling scattered over 

 the rookery. (Fig. 11.) A few were in pairs or 

 threes, but more in groups of a dozen or more, and 

 all the birds were very phlegmatic, many of them 

 lying on their breasts, with beaks outstretched, 

 apparently asleep, and nearly all, as yesterday, in 

 the hollows, though there was no wind, and away 

 from the nesting sites. They were very quiet. 

 18 



