107
l-'ic, 3(J.—Water-Fall, Iiiacessible Island. (From a pholorjnipk.)
or heard nothing of them since, they thought the
prohahility was that they had perislied. Captain
Nares wished to visit the other islands, and to
ascertain the fate of the two men was an additional
object in doing so.
Next morning we were close under Inaccessihle
Island, the second in size of the little group of three.
The ship Avas surrounded hy multitudes of penguins,
and as few of us had any previous personal acquaintance
Avith this eccentric form of life, Ave folloAved their
movements with great interest. The penguin as a
rule swims under AA'ater, rising now and then and
resting on the surface, like one of the ordinary water-
hirds, hut more frequently AA’ith its hody entirely
covered, and only lifting its head from time to time
to hreatlie.
One peculiarity surprised us greatly, for although
Ave were tolerably familiar Avitli the literature of the
family, Ave had never seen it described. The ‘ rock-
hopper,’ and I am inclined to think species of other
genera besides E u d y q o te s , Avlien in a number in the
Avater have a constant habit of closing together the
legs and tail straight out, laying the AA'ings flat to
the sides, arching forAvard the neck, and, apparently
hy an action of the muscles of the back, springing
forwards clear out of the Avater, shoAving a steel-
grey hack and a silvery belly like a grilse. They
run in this Avay in lines like a school of 23orpoises,
seemingly in play, and Avlien they are thus disporting
themselves it is really very difficult to
believe th a t one is not Avatcliing a shoal of fish
pursued hy enemies.
In the Avater penguins are usually silent, hut noAv