362 FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
Of birds we saw in all some twenty species, the most 
remarkable being the gregarious penguin. The first I 
saw of these birds was off the shores of the Falkland 
Islands, over two hundred miles from the nearest land. 
The vessel was making little headway through the water, 
the wind having fallen, and, on my coming on deck at mid- 
day, my attention was called to ' some small seals/ which 
where playing round the stern of the vessel. They were 
swimming calmly about in the water, now immersing 
themselves entirely, now lifting their heads only above 
the water much as one sees seals doing in the evening, 
or on a bleak day, when they prefer to remain in the 
water rather than come out and lie on the ice, as they 
do when the sun shines brightly. What the sailors took 
for seals were, however, really macaroni penguins (Eudyptes 
chrysolopJius), with their silky hair-like feathers looking 
like wet fur. The sailors quite refused to recognise 
feathers in this close-fitting fleece, black on the back 
and white on the breast. Penguins also move through 
the water like shoals of very active, very small porpoises. 
On the ice they move swiftly, gliding upon their breasts, 
and using their fore limbs as well as their hind limbs to 
help them along. Sometimes also they may be seen 
walking in an erect position. After this they were our 
daily companions, and we saw in all four or five different 
species. We captured some very fine Emperor penguins ; 
very monarchs, clothed in silken robes of white and black, 
and decked with gold and purple. 
In the vicinity of the Danger Islands we first saw the 
sheath-bill (Chionis alba). We saw, too, the Snowy Petrel, 
