181
lauds, forms a dense jungle. The root-clumps, or
‘ tussocks,’ are two or three feet in width and about a
foot liigb, and the s^iaces between them one to two
feet Avide. The tu ft of thick grass-stems—seven or
eight feet in height—rises strong and straight for a
yard or so, and then the culms separate from one
another and mingle with those of the neighbouring
tussocks. This makes a brusli very difficult to make
one’s way tbroiigli, for the beads of grass are closely
entangled, together on a level with the face and chest.
In this scrub one of the crested penguins, probably
Eudijptes clmjsocoma, called, by the sealers in common
Avith other sjiecies of the genus PudyqAes the ‘ rock-
hopper,’ has established a rookery. Erom a great
distance, even so far as the hut or the ship, one could
hear an incessant noise like the harking of a myriad
of dogs in all possible keys, and as Ave came near the
place hands of penguins Avere seen constantly going
and returning between the rookery and the sea. All
at once, out at sea a hundred yards or so from the
shore, the water is seen in motion, a dark red beak
and sometimes a jiair of eyes appearing uoav and then
for a moment ahove the surface. The moving Avater
ajijiroaches the shore in a AA'edge-shape, and AA'ith
great rapidity a hand of perhajis from three to four
hundred penguins scramble out upon the stones, at
once exchanging the vigorous and graceful movements
and attitudes for Avhich they are so remarkable
Avliile in the Avater for helpless and ungainly ones,
tumbling over the stones, and apparently Avith difficulty
assuming tbeir noi'mal position upright on tbeir
feet—which are set far back—and Avitli tbeir iin-like
Avings banging in a useless kind of Avay at tbeir sides.
TVlien they have got fairly out of the Avater, beyond
the reach of the surf, they stand together for a few
minutes drying and dressing themselves and talking
loudly, apparently congratulating themselves on their
safe landing, and then they scramble in a hody over
the stony beach—many falling and picking themselves
up again with the help of their flappers on the
.^^ay-and make straight for one particular gangAvay
into the scrub, along which they Avaddle in regular
order up to the rookery. In the meantime a p a rty of
ahout equal number appear from the rookery at the
end of another of the paths. When they get ont of
the grass on to the beach they all stop and talk
and look ahont them, sometimes for three or four
minutes. They then with one consent scuttle doAvn
over the stones into the water, and long lines of
rip2>le radiating rapidly from their place of departure
are the only indications th a t the birds are speeding
ont to sea. The tussock-brake, Avbich in Inaccessible
Island is perhapis four or five acres in extent, Avas
alive with penguins breeding. The nests are built
of the stems and leaves of the Sqiartina in the
spaces between the tussocks. They are tAvo or three
inches high, with a slight depression for the eggs,
and ahont a foot in diameter. The gangways hetAveen
the tussocks, along which penguins are constantly
passing, are Avet and slushy, and the tangled grass, the
strong ammoniacal smell, and the deafening noise
continually penetrated by loud separate sounds Avhich
have a startling resemblance to the human voice,
make a walk through the rookery neither easy nor
pleasant.
The penguin is thickly cotered Avith the closest