March^ 1834. ornithology. 25? 



basal part of each eye. This bird is commonly called the 

 jackass penguin^ from its habit^ while on shore, of throwing 

 its head backwards, and making a loud strange noise, very 

 like the braying of that animal ; but while at sea, and undis- 

 turbed, its note is very deep and solemn, and is often heard 

 in the night-time. In diving, its little plumeless wings are 

 used as fins ; but on the land, as front legs. When crawling 

 (it may be said on four legs) through the tussocks, or on the 

 side of a grassy cliff, it moved so very quickly that it might 

 readily have been mistaken for a quadruped. When at sea 

 and fishing, it comes to the surface, for the purpose of 

 breathing, with such a spring, and dives again so instanta- 

 neously, that I defy any one at first sight to be sure that it 

 is not a fish leaping for sport. 



Two kinds of geese frequent the Falklands. The upland 

 species {Anas leucoptera) is common in pairs, and in small 

 flocks, throughout the island. They do not migrate, but 

 build on the small outlying islets. This is supposed to be 

 from fear of the foxes : and it is perhaps from the same 

 cause that these birds, though very tame by day, are shy 

 and wild in the dusk of the evening. They live entirely on 

 vegetable matter. The rock-goose, so called from living ex- 

 clusively on the sea-beach [Anas antarctica), is common both 

 here and on the west coast of America, as far north as Chile. 

 In the deep and retired channels of Tierra del Fuego, the 

 snow-white gander, invariably accompanied by his darker 

 consort, and standing close by each other on some distant 

 rocky point, is a common feature in the landscape. 



In these islands a great loggerheaded duck or goose [Anas 

 hracliyptera), which sometimes weighs twenty-two pounds, is 

 very abundant. These birds were in former days called, from 

 their extraordinary manner of paddling and splashing upon the 

 water, race-horses; but now they are named, much more appro- 

 priately, steamers. Their wings are too small and weak to allow 

 of flight, but by their aid, partly swimming and partly flap- 

 ping the surface of the water, they move very quickly. The 

 manner is something like that by which the common house- 



VOL. III. s 



