22 BIRDS OF THE WORLD 



The King and Emperor Penguins are found only 

 in the inhospitable regions of the Antarctic, a land of 

 perpetual ice and snow. They lay but one egg dur- 

 ing the year, and this is most carefully guarded. To 

 protect it from the cold, it is placed as soon as laid, 

 upon the back of the feet and covered by the feathers 

 of the lower part of the abdomen. It is brooded by 

 each parent in turn until hatched, when the young 

 bird is cared for in the same way. The young of these 

 two species are very unlike, the young King Penguin 

 being covered with long, hair-like, tawny-coloured 

 down, while the young Emperor is clad in down that 

 is pure white except for black markings on the head. 

 Certain other species of Penguins build nests either 

 on the open ground or under ledges of rock. 



Owing to the complete transformation of their 

 wings into flippers, Penguins are quite unable to fly. 

 They are also unable to breathe through their nostrils, 

 these having become completely closed. 



Penguins have no very near relatives among living 

 birds, but they stand nearest to the Diving-birds, 

 which, however, they far surpass, both in their ability 

 to walk when on^and, and in their wonderful swim- 

 ming and diving powers. 'Fossilised forms of Pen- 

 guins have b&n found in New Zealand, one exceeding 

 in height an average man. See Plate 40, Fig. 234. 



