Penguin Studies Being Made In Antarctic

Press, Volume C, Issue 29657, 30 October 1961, Page 14

Penguin Studies Being Made In Antarctic

(New Zealana Press Association)

SCOTT BASE (Ross Island), October 29. Observations on the early courtship of Adelie penguins were made by Dr. B. Stonehouse, a senior lecturer in the zoology department of the University of Canterbury, and a technician, Mr T. Jacobs, during their two-day visit to the huge penguin colony at Cape Crozier recently. The two men were flown by helicopter to Cape Crozier last Monday. They were accompanied by a party of United States Antarctic research programme biologists, and Dr. R. Carrick, of the Wildlife Section of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra. The party was landed in a col overlooking the Adelie colony, where several thousand penguins already occupied their nest sites, and more arrived during the two days the biologists were there. Dr. Stonehouse and Mr Jacobs helped the American observers band 200 pen-

guins, and also measured many of them. On Wednesday, the party was transferred for a twohour visit to the Emperor penguin colony below Cape Crozier, where more than 100 dead chicks were measured, in order to find the age at which most deaths occur. A collection of abandoned eggs was also made for further studies. A census of the colony was taken. On Saturday, Dr. Stonehouse and Mr Jacobs flew by helicopter to Cape Royds, the site of the most southerly Adelie penguin colony in the world, where they will make further studies of the penguins.