The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-20

THE HAUNrs or THE PENGUINs.
Misrations Of These strange nirds- How
They Make Nest and Raise Young.

Misrations Of These strange birds How
They Make Meet and Raise Young.
Probably on the earth's surface there Ia
no more desolats and ~forbidding region
than Victoria Land In the Antarctic. II
Is absolutely without vegetation, save a
little occasional moss-a rocky barren. snow
and loo strswn waste. Yet here the pen
gum (PvposeeHs ddeEs) may he said to
have made It's home. 70
Until recent years not much was known
about this bird. but now thanks to hardy
explorers We possess q prettyfull knowledge
of IL. says Frank Moonan in Forest and
Strsam. In length 1t averages twenty
nine inches, while its fiippers or ~rudinientary
wings are about eight and a half inches,
In color generally IL Is black above and
snow white beneath, with a black hand
around its throat. Its most notice
| able feature is its jet black eyes set in a
white circle, which giveit a certain sinister
look. Its plumage is Of the texture OF
scales almost and so close set as to afford
no opening for the cold. Close set indeed
IL must be to resist the barbs OF the Ant
arctic wind.
80 unfamiliar are penguins with man
that Louis Bernacchi Of the Southern Cross
expedition states that when he set out to
examine a row Of them sitting solemnly
on the ice (this being their normal attitude)
they appeared to be filed with as much
curiosity as he and started to meet him
half way. When they met the birds showed
not the least sign OF fear, but walked
around the explorer. examining him at
all points and then, apparently satisfied.
waddled back to their former position on
the ice.
Before the Antarctic winter sets in the
~penguins migrate from Cape Adam, which
appears to be their ~favorite haunt.
| They do not, however, 60 north OF the
| circle, and the wonder il that they 60 as
| far as they do, seeing they have no wings
TO Garry them. We may be sure that oniy
their case. About the end Of October Ut
| will be remembered. OF course. that the
Antartic winter corresponds with our sum
mer) the migrants begin to return, at first
In small groups or files; but as the days
advance their numbers grow to the pro-
portions Of an invading army. On. they
| come, waddling over the Toe, erect and
soldier-ike, but in places where the snow
is thiok they will fall upon their breasts
and use their feet and fippers to propel
them along.
When Cape Adams reached the wanderers
| scatter themselves over it's rugged de:
| ~clivities In their tens Of thousands and
proceed at once to nest building. This, II
| need hardly be stated, 10 O very simple
| operation, consisting merely Of scratching
o hole in the old guano and surrounding
IL with pebbles. These latter, by the way,
are q considerable source OF trouble, for
| the birds love to steal from n another.
A fight between the nest building females
ia described as an extremely comical afIair,
| but when two Jealous males set to the bust
ness becomes serious and is suggestive
(by reason Of the action OF the nipRers) OF
| nothing 80 much as a first class 'min.'
At length the eggs 1.-TWO to each pair are
| laid and the females take to incubating.
Extra ordinary to relate. during this pro-
cess, or for q period Of t~hirty-one days,
absolutely no food is taken but snow Is fire.
~ouently consumed. The first young APP
rear during the second week In December.
They are quaint, dark. fluffy little creatures
but very greedy and grow rapidly. They
are fed exclusively on fish, CT. crustattsns,
the only food procurable in the Antarctic.
Is it not wonderful to think in this oonnec-
ton Of the sagacity Of the male IN being
pedition to identify his own family amid
such q oolonyf An idea OF the size OF the
COLONY may be formed when II is stated,
on the best authority, that the din created
by it is like the roar Of a vast multitude OF
By the middle of January nearly all the
young birds have outgrown their downy
coats and been seduoed to the waters edge
and taught how to SWIM. For three or four
and headland, usually sitting idly with an
expression Of profound sadness. Can we
wonder they are sad, seeing they are doomed
TO live amid such scenes?. BY all accounts
the Antarctic in it's crude horror OF desola-
! ton simply beggars description.