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TASMANIAN NOTES TAKEN IN 1903 : THE LITTLE 

 PENGUIN (EUDYPTULA MINOR). 



By J. E. McClymont. 



June 23rd. — I have been watching a Little Penguin pursue 

 small fish. It was but a few yards from the shore of the Eiver 

 Derwent, but, as the water was somewhat muddy, its movements 

 under water could not be discerned. As the result of its actions 

 many little fishes — perhaps Sand- Smelts — leapt out of the water. 

 The Penguin appeared on the surface of the water at intervals of 

 about half a minute, and swam or floated on the surface for but 

 a few seconds before again diving. These proceedings continued 

 for about ten minutes, after which time the bird disappeared. It 

 had doubtless swum away to some distance under water. The 

 depth of the water in which the pursuit of the small fish took 

 place was from two to four feet, and the bottom is of sand and 

 shells. A Silver Gull was attendant upon the Penguin's actions, 

 and when the latter appeared on the surface would fly to the 

 spot, as if it expected to obtain food dropped by the Penguin. 

 This Gull sometimes follows Cormorants when they are catching 

 fish. 



24th. — Two Penguins in the flesh were sent to me from 

 Norfolk Bay. They were males, and measured 17 in. and 

 17^ in. in length. They were in the plumage which I surmise 

 is that of birds not quite mature — that is to say, the space 

 below the eyes was greyish white, whereas in those birds which, 

 I opine, have completed the changes of plumage there is under- 

 neath the eye a band of slaty blue about one-fifth of an inch 

 wide, which extends from the lore to the aural region. The birds 

 without this band I believe to be the Spheniscus undinaoi Gould's 

 ' Birds of Australia,' vol. vii. P. 85 ; those with the band the 

 8. minor of the same work (vol. vii. P. 84). I cannot, however, 

 positively affirm that Eudyptula minor, Forst., and E. undina, 

 Gould, are the same species, and use the name Eudyptula minor 



