MURPIIV ; 
T’KNGinxS Ol' SOrTlI (G'ORGIA. 
109 
freshly laid eggs have l)eeii collected at South Georgia as late as March 
10. It seems ])robal)le, as has been suggested by bbuiiberg, that the 
breeding season extends through the major part of the southern summer, 
with great individual variation in the time of la\ing. I saw a few birds 
still engaged in pairing about the end of January. Courting cou])les 
stroll apart from the main flocks, and .seem fond of standing side b_\' side 
on high places such as knolls overlooking the .sea. Care.s.ses are then 
exchanged, the usual form being for the birds to cro.ss their necks, 
swaying from .side to side, and then for the cock to ])re.ss .slowly down- 
ward on his mate’s na])e until her head is bent quite to the ground. 
For the reason given in the introduction I have no data regarding 
the appearance or life histor_\' of the king penguin during the natal down 
stage. Three chicks in jnvenal down* several months of age, labelled 
“ Bay of Isles, June 4, 1914”, have been sent me from South Georgia. 
The smallest of the.se is 50 cm. in length. Its bill, to which the egg- 
tooth still adheres, measures 011I3" 49 mm. from the gape. The other two 
\'oungsters are each about 66 cm. long, with bills of 63 and 64 mm., well- 
developed rectrices, and much longer down (about 35 mm. max. ) than 
the smaller bird po.ssesses. The down in all three specimens is of a 
nearly uniform dusk}’ or smoky drab color all over the body. In the case 
of the youngest bird it is very thin and short over a masklike area on the 
face. Traces of light-colored natal down still cling to the tips of the dark 
feathers on the occiput. 
Yearling specimens of m}’ own collecting show that the jnvenal down 
grows to a length of 90 mm. or more, fading greatly and turning a 
streaky golden brown or }"ellowish with age.f It alwa}^s remains short- 
e.st on the head, becoming hairlike and matted elsewhere on the bod}’ 
before the po.stjnvenal molt. 
This yearling change of coat is well illmstrated bv five specimens 
which re|)re.sent as man}' stages of the molt. The down on the fli])pers 
is the fir.st to go ; it is then lo.st from the bell}', next from the back, and 
la.stb' from the U])])er brea.st, throat, and head. Fragments of it cling 
longe.st on the na])e of the neck. For the most part the whole coat 
comes off in the form of tangled mats which re.semble wool or hair. The 
s])ronting ])lnmage fails for a few dax's thoroughly to cover the skin of 
the head and gniar region which is hidden only grad nail}' by a dense 
* Terniiiiolog}' of I)\vi,s>ht, Amtah X. AraA. Sn. \'oI. .\III, 1900, ]). io(), 
t \'oii den .Sleinen incntion.s 1 )Ioik 1 c seen by him. 
