THE MOULTING OF THE KING PENGUIN. 
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Once, however, the actual shedding of the feathers started, the bird’s health and 
temper appreciably improved ; and though it only ~ate one fish (on the sixth day) 
during the whole moulting period, its condition and fatness did not seem to be 
affected by the fast, as may be gathered from the photographs.. The day before the 
moult finished the general appearance, health, and temper of the bird had so much 
improved that its companions began to be more friendly, and on the day after the 
moult was completed no one could have imagined that anything like a disturbance 
in the family camp had taken place. 
Daily Notes made by Miss Mackenzie during the Moulting Period of one 
of the King Penguins in the Scottish Zoological Park. 
First Day , Aug. 17, 1915. (Fig. 3.) 
General health and temper very bad. Gasped painfully a good part of the day. 
Sat huddled up all day, entirely deserted by its companions. 
Feathers on lower abdomen began to fall off. Back very ruffled, but not actually 
shedding. Yellow feathers fading rapidly to a dirty cream. 
Ate nothing, and did not enter the water. 
Second Day, Aug. 18. (Figs. 4 and 5.) 
General health better, breathing less laboured, but temper worse. 
Feathers on abdomen falling off in sheets. Underside of flippers began to moult. 
The three remaining tail quills dropped out and the new quills began to show. 
Back more ruffled than yesterday, but not yet shedding. Yellow feathers even 
paler. 
Ate nothing, and did not enter the water. 
Third Day, Aug. 19. (Figs. 6 and 7.) 
General health and temper better, breathing almost normal. 
Breast feathers about half moulted. Back more and more ruffled, and a few 
feathers shed. Yellow patches pale cream. Underside of flippers finished moulting. 
Ate nothing, and did not enter the water. 
Fourth Day, Aug. 20. (Figs. 8 and 9.) 
Health and temper both vastly improved. 
Breast moulted almost up to the yellow throat feathers, which by this time had 
lost all their colour. Back very ruffled, but still only a few feathers shedding. 
Feathers on the top of the head beginning to fall off, also from the outer side of the 
flippers (fig. 8). 
Ate nothing, and did not enter the water. 
