THE MOULTING OF THE KING PENGUIN. 
129 
Tenth Day , Aug. 26. (Figs. 17 and 18.) 
Health excellent, except for a short and slight return of the gasping. 
Temper good. 
Moult practically complete, except for the remains of the “ruff” and a few stray 
feathers above the nostrils. 
Ate nothing. „ Stood in a few inches of water for a short time. The other 
penguins beginning to show signs of friendliness. 
Eleventh Day, Aug. 27. 
Moult complete, except for a few feathers on the head and at the base of the 
nostrils. 
Ate four fish, and spent many hours in the water with its companions. 
While the young penguin (“ B ”) (described above) was moulting, the adult bird 
(“A”) was preparing to moult. Though the time occupied by the adult bird in 
moulting was very much the same as in the young bird, there were various points of 
difference in the behaviour of the respective birds which are noted below. 
On 9th August “ A’s” feathers began to lose some of their gloss and brightness. 
The bird continued to feed and to go into the water both before and during the 
moult, and, though the other two did their best to shun it,- they were not successful, 
for the old bird followed them about everywhere, even going into the water after 
them. Though the young birds could not by any stretch of imagination be said to 
be cordial, still, like true philosophers, they made the best of a bad job, and allowed 
their shabby relation to spend all its time in their company. 
On the 25th of August the left mandibular sheath peeled off, and the right sheath 
was shed the following day. 
On the 30th of August the bird looked very ruffled, and was extremely irritable. 
Its breathing was very laboured — 24 inspirations to the minute. It ate nothing, and 
felt too ill to go into the water, though it sat and watched the others all the time 
they were swimming. 
On the 31st of August its general health and temper were pretty much the same. 
Inspirations were 18 per minute, but the gasping was very painful to watch. Again 
it ate nothing, and' did not go into the water. The tail quills began to drop out. 
On the 1st of September the inspirations were only 16 per minute ; but though 
the general health was better, the temper was much worse. It ate nothing, and did 
not go into the water. 
On the 2nd of September the inspirations were 24 to the minute, but, strange to 
relate, the bird seemed to be much better both in health and temper. It ate a good- 
sized whiting, but, though it sat for a long time on the edge of the pool, did not enter 
the water. 
