Page:The birds of Tierra del Fuego - Richard Crawshay.djvu/291

Rh Pernaty's observations on this Penguin in the Falkland Islands in 1764 are exceedingly droll:—"Un animal singnlier," he remarks. "Quand il crie, on diroit un âne qui brâit. Son maintien & sa démarche n'imitent pas ceux des oiseaux. Il marche debout, la tête & le corps droits comme l'homme. Ils se logent dans glajeux, comme les Loups marins, & se terrent dans les tannicres, comme les Renards."

On the "Nassau" Survey. Dr. Cunningham thus humorously describes a colony of these birds on Penguin Island in the Strait of Magellan:—"On climbing to the summit of one of the high banks we beheld a company of Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus), which, after standing erect and staring at us in a stupid manner for a few moments, shuffled off", their little wings hanging limp at their sides, and their dark grey and white colouring, and reeling movements, suggesting a drunk and disorderly funeral procession. When hard pressed they abandoned the erect position, and crouching down on all fours, if I may be permitted the expression, ran along like rabbits at a very rapid rate, using their wings as fore-legs, till they gained their burrows, fairly ensconced in which they faced their pursuers, and, slowly turning about their heads from side to side, barked and brayed in the most ridiculous manner, offering a stout resistance to being captured by biting most viciously with their strong bills. Whilst contemplating one individual in its den, I was suddenly startled by a loud "Ho-ho—ho-ho-ho" close to me, and turning round perceived another bird, which had boldly walked out of a neighbouring burrow, and was thus addressing me. I succeeded at last, though with much difficulty, in raking an old bird out of its hole with the crook of a walking stick, and also obtained two young ones in their down."

Capt. Fitzroy contributes the following note, on the occasion of his visit to Noir Island in the "Beagle," in 1830:—"Multitudes of Penguins were swarming together in some parts of the island, among the bushes and 'tussac' near the shore, having gone there for the purposes of moulting and