Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-07
People of the South Pole ::
BY GARRETT P. SERVISS.

THE stTangest inhabitants Of
the Antarctic continent are
the birds called penguins. A
company of them, seen at a dis
lance on the polar SHOWS, bears so
striking "A resemblance to an as
semblage Of human beings that ex-
plorers. unaccustOmed to their APP
pearance. have often been startled
by the momentary belief that they
had come upon a tribe of short,
stout men. dressed in black, or blue
and white, and greeting their visi-
tors with the most extraordinary
gesticulations.
There is one species Of these re-
markahIe birds, known as the En-
peror Penguin, because it seems to
mimic the well known figure Of Ma
poleon, in his white vest and
trousers and gray coat, which
sometimes attains a height Of be-
tween three and four feet and a
weight of so or 80 pounds. Walk
ing erect on his short legs. the
Emperor makes a salute .by lower
ing his long beak on his round
breast and then begins a long dis
course in his strange, raucOus Ian
guage, and if there Is no response,
he repeats the performance again
and again, expecting each time an
answer This eXiled image of hui
mainly, inhabiting his lone snow
covered and icebound continent,
seems astonished, and offended, as
well he may be, by the impolite-
ness of his visitors, who usually
answer his hospitable greetings
with uncivil laughter, or blows Of
stick.
In thus receiving strangers in
his country the Emperor follows an
invariable rule of conduct, which
has governed the intercourse of his
kind from time immemorial When
ever two groups Of these penguins
encounter, the chiefs advance and
salute, in the same manner already
described, and, having exchanged
compliments, with appropriate
speeches, they make a circular
sweep in the air with their beaks,
indicating that the ceremony is
ended, and after that the two par
ties either separate or continue
amicably on their way together
An Old Family.
The penguins, of which there are
several species, are believed by
naturalists to have inhabited the
Antarctic continent from the be-
ginning of the Tertiary age, so that
they are among the oldest families
Of the animal kingdom, and they
have always kept to their own
quarter of the world. While they
are Enthusiastically birds, they differ
from all others in many particu-
lars, Their wings are mere rudi-
ments, covered not with true feath-
ers, but with something more near
ly resembling scales. They do not
attempt to fly with them. but when
they are driven to increase their
speed of loComOtion they fall fiat
on the surface of the snow and
Fi'l'l Ai'lllSNiN'9 'il'llS IdplNlN
with their short wings and stumpy
legs. Ordinarily they walk erect,
presenting a ComiCal appearance,
like systematically grave and rev.
erend signors"
Their food consists of small fish.
and especially small shelfsh. and
they are very expert swimmers and
divers. They place their rookeries
on high points of rock and go in
companies to the shore of the sea
to fish. one of the illustrations
above shows how picturesque is
the appearance of one of these
companies when they assemble on
a rock overhanging the water, and
from it plunge, one after another,
into the sea, making grear splashes
as they strike the water.
Having finished their fishing OPP
erations, they return to their rock
cries, which are often situated at a
considerable distance. They carry
back fish to feed their young,
which are left in the nests on the
rocks, and uaturaists who have
seen them in their native haunts