I 



64 OCEANIC BIRDS— FIELDS OF ICE. [1823. 



They copulate on shore, and the female goes about ten months with 

 young. According to the best calculation that I can make, they seldom 

 produce more than one pup at a birth, and never more than three ; and 

 the young ones never come on shore during the first year of their lives. 

 As to the age this animal will live, it is difficult to ascertain with any 

 degree of certainty ; but from my own observations, I should fix the 

 period of their greatest longevity at thirty years. 



The principal food of the fur-seal is a fish called the squid, the 

 same that the sperm whale feeds upon. The hair-seal and the sea- 

 elephant feed upon various kinds of scale-fish, and the hair-lion often 

 feeds upon penguins. 



Of the feathered race on this island penguins are the most numerous, 

 and of these there are four different kinds. The largest is the royal 

 or king-penguin, so called from its size, beauty of plumage, and irre- 

 pressible pride : in these respects it much resembles the peacock. 

 The head is of a glossy shining black, the upper part of the body of a 

 leaden gray, the under part of the purest white, and the feet in colour 

 correspond to the head. Two broad stripes of a fine bright glossy 

 yellow descend from the head to the breast ; the bill is long, and of a 

 rose colour. As they march along with a great deal of self-complacency, 

 they will frequently look down their glossy front and sides to contem- 

 plate the perfection of their exterior brilliancy, to adjust a ruffled feather, 

 or remove any speck which may sully their spotless attire. 



The second class of penguins is only about half the size of the 

 one just described. The upper part of the body is of a blackish gray, 

 with a white spot on the top of the head ; the bill and feet are of a 

 yellow tinge, the breast white. The third sort, or bicrested penguin, 

 is black upon the upper part of the back and throat ; most of the body, 

 neck, and head is white, excepting the top of the latter, which is orna- 

 mented with a fine yellow arch, which the bird can erect at pleasure as 

 a double crest. 



The shags here are of two kinds, one of which resembles the cor- 

 morant or water-crane, the other has a blackish back and a white belly. 

 Here are also sea-swallows, terns, common sea-gulls, Mother Carey's 

 chickens, and Mother Carey's geese, or the great petrel : this last- 

 named bird is as large as an albatross, and is carnivorous, feeding on 

 the carcasses of dead seals and birds. It is sometimes called the os- 

 prey-petrel, or breakbones. It often sails close to the surface of the 

 water, with its wings expanded, yet without appearing to move them. 

 They are very tame, and not unpalatable food. I have also frequently 

 shot and eaten the white bird for which Mr. Anderson had no name, 

 and found its flesh a very agreeable substitute for salt provisions. It 

 is somewhat larger than a pigeon, with white feet and a black bill. 



January Wth. — We returned from our sealing excursion round the 

 Island of Desolation on Friday, the 1 Oth ; and on the following day at 6 

 P. M. again got under way, and took our departure from Christmas 

 Harbour, steering towards the south and east, wafted by a fine breeze 

 from W.S.W. We continued this course, almost constantly attended 

 by light snow-squalls, for ten days ; when, in lat. 62° 27' S., long. 94° 

 11' E., we fell in with very extensive fields of ice, one of which would 



