PEN 
haflen their pace, and in a manner walk along the 
furface of the water. Even the fmaller kinds fel- 
dom fiy by choice: they flutter their wings with 
the fwifteft efforts, without advancing; and 
though they have but a finall weight of body to 
luftain, they feldom venture to quit the water, 
where they are provided with food and protec- 
tion. 
As the wings of the Penguin tribe are ill- 
adapted for flight, their legs are flill more auk-- 
wardly formed for wallcing: all the fpace above 
the knee is hid in the belly; and nothing is feen 
but two fliort legs, or feet, as they might be cal- 
led, that appear as if (luck under the rump, and 
on which the animals are but badly fupported. 
They feem, v^'hen fitting, or attempting to walk, 
like a doo- which has been taught to fit ud, or to 
move in a minuet: their fhort legs drive their 
bodies in progreiTion from fide to fide; and, were 
they not afiilled by their wings, they would 
fcarcely move fafi:er than a tortoife. 
This iinfuitable pofition of the legs of the Pen- 
(guin, which fo incapacitates it for living on land, 
adapts it admirably for an aquatic lit'e. In that 
elemjcnt, the legs placed behind the moving body, 
puuies it forward with great velocity : and thefe 
birds, like Indian canoes, are the fwifteft in the 
water, by having their paddles in the rear; and 
hence our failors give them the coarfe, but ex- 
preffive name, of arfe-feet. 
Nor are the Penguins lefs qualified for diving 
than fwimming: by inclining their bodies ever fo 
little forward, they lofe their centre of gravity, 
and every fcroke with their feet only tends to fink 
them the fafter. In this manner they can either 
dive at once to the bottom, or fwim between two 
waters, where they continue fifiiing for fome mi- 
nutes; and then afcending, catch an inilantaneous 
breath, to defcend once more in renewal of their 
operations. Hence it is that thefe birds, which 
are fo defencelefs, and fo eafily taken by land, are 
infuperable in the water: if they perceive them- 
felves in the leafl purfued, thev inliantly fink, and 
fhew only their bills, till their enemy is with- 
drawn. Their very internal conformation afrifi:s 
their power of continuing long under water: their 
lungs are fitted with numerous vacuities, by which 
they can take in a very large infpiration; and this 
probably ferves them for a confiderable length of 
time. 
As thefe birds never vifit the land, except fi^r 
the purpofe of breeding, their plumage derives a 
tinge from fituation: that part of them which has 
been continually bathed in the water is white; 
while their backs and wings are of different co- 
lours, according to their different fpecies. They 
are alfo covered more warmly all over their bo- 
dies with feathers than any other birds whatever; 
fo that the fea feems to be entirely their element; 
and, but for the neceffary duties of propagating 
their fpecies, v/e fliould feldom have any oppor- 
tunity of feeing them, and confequently their hif- 
tory would be unknown. 
Penguin, Magellanic. This bird is the 
largefl: and m.oft remarkable of the kind, being 
little inferior in fize to the common goofe. It 
never flies, as it's wings are very fiiort, and co- 
vered with iklff hard feathers, which are always 
expanded, and hanging ufelefs down by the ani- 
mal's fides. The upper part of the head, the 
back, and rumip, are covered with ftiff black fea- 
thers; while the belly and breaft, as is common 
Vol. II. 
in all this kind, arc of a fnowy whitenefs, except 
a line of black which croffes the crop; and the 
bill is black, marked tranfvcrfely with a (Iripe of 
yellow, and corrugated about half way up from 
the bafe. 
Thefe birds walk ere£l with tiicir heads on 
high, their fin- like wings appearing as arms; fo 
that, when viewed at a diftance, they refemble fo 
many children with white aprons. From lience 
they are faid to unite in tliemfelves the qualities 
of men, fowls, and fiOies: like men, they are 
ere 61 ; like fowls, they are feathered; and, like 
fillies, they have inftrumcnts rcfemjbling fins, 
which beat the v/ater before, and anfwer the pur- 
pofes of fwimming rather than flying. They uni- 
formly feed on fifli, feldom coming on fliore, ex- 
cept at the feafon of incubation ; and as the fcas 
in that part of the world where they abound are 
plentifully flocked, they feldom want food; and 
indeed their extreme obefity is a proof in what 
affluence they live. They dive with great rapi- 
dity ; and are voracious to a high degree: one of 
them, defcribed by Clufius, though very young, 
would fwallow an entire herring at a mouthful, 
and often three fucceiTively before it was fatisfied. 
In confequence of this gluttonous appetite, their 
flefii is rank and fifhy, though failors fometimes 
make a meal of it : but, in fome, the flefh is fo 
tough, and the feathers are fo thick, that they 
withftand a blow of the fharpell weapon. 
Thefe creatures are focial and gregarious, efpe- 
cially when they come on fhore, where they are 
feen drawn up in rank and file on the ledges of 
rocks, ftanding together with the albatrofs, as if 
in deep confultation. This is previous to their 
laying, which generally commences, in that part 
of the world, about the month of November. 
Their preparations for laying are foon adjufted; 
a fmall depreffion in the earth, without any neft, 
anfwering their purpofe : neverthelefs, the warmth 
of their feathers and the heat of their bodies is 
fuch, that the progrefs of incubation is carried on 
with great rapidity. 
But there is a difference in the manner of this 
bird's nefi:ling in other countries; which may be 
afcribed to the frequent difturbances it has received 
from man or quadrupeds in it's receffes. In fome 
places, inftead of contenting itfelf with a fuperfi- 
cial depreffion in the earth, the Penguin burrows 
two or three feet deep in the ground: in other 
places, it forfakes the level, and clambers up the 
ledge of a rock, where it lays it's egg, and hatches 
it in that bleak, expofed fituation. Thefe pre- 
cautions were moft probably adopted in confe- 
quence of dear-bought experience. In thofe 
countries where the bird fears for her own fafety^ . 
or that of her young, flie may providentially pro- 
vide againlt danger by digging, or even climb- 
ing; for both which exertions flie is but ill- 
adapted by nature. 
However, the Magellanic Penguins have but 
few vifits from man; and their nefts are therefore 
formed, with the mofl confident fecurity, in the 
middle of lome large plain, where they affemble 
by thoufands. In that unguarded fituation, nei- 
ther expecting nor fearing any powerful enemy, 
they continue to fit brooding; and, even when 
fome of the human fpecies make their firft ap- 
pearance among them, they have no apprehenfion 
of their danger. But the experience of a few of 
their unfriendly vifits has taught others of them to 
be more cauiio\is in chufing their fituations, as 
2 y well 
