THE FASTING PERIOD 



ing man, when " in-fighting " drives his exhausted 

 opponent round the ring. 



Desperate as these encounters are, I don't think 

 one penguin ever kills another. In many cases 

 blood is drawn. I saw one with an eye put out, 

 and that side of its beak (the right side) clotted 

 with blood, whilst the crimson print of a blood- 

 stained flipper across a white breast was no un- 

 common sight. 



Hard as they can hit with their flippers, however, 

 they are also well protected by their feathers, and 

 being marvellously tough and enduring the end 

 of a hard fight merely finds the vanquished bird 

 prostrate with exhaustion and with most of the 

 breath beaten out of his little body. The victor is 

 invariably satisfied with this, and does not seek to 

 dispatch him with his beak. 



It was very usual to see a little group of cocks 

 gathered together in the middle of one of the 

 knolls squabbling noisily. Sometimes half a dozen 

 would be lifting their raucous voices at one par- 

 ticular bird, then they would separate into pairs, 

 squaring up to one another and emphasizing their 

 remarks from time to time by a few quick blows 

 from their flippers. It seemed that each was in- 

 dignant with the others for coming and spoiling his 



41 



