408 The King Penguin. 



ratory to making a propelling stroke. Two of the bones of 

 the carpus or wrist are remarkably large. Of the metacarpal 

 bones, or those corresponding to the palm of the hand in man, 

 two only are developed, supporting respectively the middle 

 and little finger. The thumb bone, which in most birds is 

 found supporting the little winglet, is entirely wanting. 



In the feet the tarsus or portion of the limb usually covered 

 with scales, and generally but incorrectly termed the leg or 

 shank, is excessively short, and is placed on the ground in 

 walking, so that the animal moves with a plantigrade step. 

 The muscles constituting the flesh are peculiar, being exces- 

 sively firm and of a dark red colour. The pectorals — those on 

 the breast which move the wings — are singularly arranged. 

 In the greater number of birds, the outer muscle, which pulls 

 down the wing and causes it to strike the air in its flight, is 

 by far the larger, the one underneath, that serves to raise the 

 wing, being much weaker ; but in the penguin, where the wing 

 has to be drawn forwards through so resisting a medium as 

 water, the muscle raising the paddle or bringing it forward 

 is greatly developed, and extends the entire length of the 

 sternum. 



The feathers are very peculiar ; but little more than the 

 mere shaft is developed, and this is so flattened, especially on 

 the paddles, as to form a series of overlapping scales, much 

 more closely resembling the covering of a fish than that of a 

 bird. The feathers on the body are bent in the middle of 

 their length, nearly at right angles, so that although the 

 basal portion rises erect from the skin, the terminal ends 

 overlap so as to form a close layer impervious to water. This 

 arrangement, however, is not peculiar to the penguins, but may 

 be found in almost all aquatic birds, the breast feathers of the 

 common duck furnishing a good example. 



The feathers of the tail are very peculiar, being stiff and 

 spiny, so as to support the body, and form with the two 

 legs the tripod on which the animal stands when in the erect 

 position. 



The bones of the tail, moreover, are strangely modified : in, 

 birds in general the last caudal vertebra is expanded into a 

 share-shaped process, flattened from side to side. This is adapted 

 to the support of the quill feathers used in flight. These are 

 absent in the penguin, consequently the last bone of the tail 

 is unexpanded ; and as another remarkable peculiarity, th© 

 absence of the oil gland, or uropygium, may be noticed. It 

 is strange that this gland, which is generally so very large in 

 ducks and other water-birds, should be absent in the most 

 aquatic of all ; the explanation most probably is that the 

 scale-like plumage of the penguin does not require oiling to 



