SOCIAL HABITS OF THE PENGUIN.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12285, 11 July 1914, Page 3 (Supplement)

SOCIAL HABITS OF THE PENGUIN.

ZOOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES OF A SCIENTIST AYITH SCOTT ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

AA'hen Captain Scott made hi- <la>h to thu, south pole Dr G. Murray LcvicK remained in winter quarters and _ devoted himself to a study oi the annual life of the Antarctic. In a hook just published l>v M'i3ri'!e. Nast and Co. he describes with graphic pen the curious social and community liie oi the x )eI1 " guins in their rookeries. He discovered many interesting things hitherto unknown about the habits of these birds, tile nearest approach to the primitive bird with rudimentary wings. The penguins of ihc Antarctic regions verv rightlv have been termed the true inhabitants of that country, says Di"

Levick. The species is oi great antiquity. fossil remains oi their ancestors having been found which showed that they-flourished as far back as the eocene epoch. To a degree far in advance of any other bird the penguin lias adapted itself to the sea as a means of livelihood, so that it rivals the very fishes. This proficiency in the water has been gained at the "expense of its power of flight, but this is a matter oi small moment, as it happens. In few other rt gions ccukl such an animal as the penguin rear its young, for when on land its short leg:, otter small advantage as a means of getting about, and as it cannot fly it would become an easy prey to any of the carnivora which abound in other parts of the globe. Here, however, there are none of the bears and foxes which inhabit- the north polar regions, and once ashore the penguin is safe. AA'hen seen for the first time the Adelie penguin gives you the impression of a very smart little man in an evening dress siiit, so absolutely immaculate is he, with his shimmering white front and black back and shoulders. He stands about two feet five inches in height, walking very upright on his little legs. His carriage is confident as lie approaches you over the snow, curiosity in his every movement. AA'hen within a yard or two of you, as you stand silently watching him, he halts, poking his head forward with little jerky movements, first to one side, then to the other, using his right and left eye alternately during his inspection. He seems to prefer using one eys at a time when viewing any near object, tut when looking for ahead or walking along he looks straight ahead-of him, using both eyes. He docs this, too. when his anger is aroused, holding his head very high, and aj>pearing to squint at you along his beak. After a careful inspection he may suddenly lose all interest in you, and ruffling up his feathers sink into a doze. Stand still for a minute till he has setcled himself to sleep, then make sound enough to wake him without startling hint, and he opens his eyes, stretching himself, yawns, then finally walks off, caring 110 more about you. The Adelie penguins spend their summer and bring forth their young in the the South. Nesting on the shores of the Antarctic continent and on the islands of the Antarctic seas they are always close to the water, being dependent on the sea:, for their food, as are all Antarctic fauna, the frozen regions inland, for all practical purposes, being barren of both animal and vegetable life. Their requirements are few —thev seek no shelter from the terrible Antarctic gales, their rookeries in most oases being in open, windswept spots. In fact, three of the four rookeries I visited were possibly in the three most windy regions of the Antarctic. . The reason for this is that only windswept places are so kept bare of snow tj.at solid ground and pebbles for making nests are to be found. •

Wlieri tile chicks are hatched .1 n:l fully flecljjcd they are taught to swim, and when this is accomplished and they can catch food for theijiselves hoi Li young and old leave the southern linnts of the sea and make their way to the pack . ice out to the northward. thus escaping the rigors and darkness of the .Antarctic winter and keeping; where they will find the open water which thev need.

During tlie day I noticed some penguins taicing possession of old -icsts 011 the ridges. These mostly squatted in the nests without any attempt at repairing them or rearrangement of any .sort. Afterward I found- that they were unmated liens waiting for mates to come to them, and that tip's was « very common custom among tliem. If two occupied nests within reach of one another they would stretch out their necks and peck at eacli other. Their endeavor seemed to be to peck each other's tongue, and this they Hequentiv did. but generally struck the soft parts around the margin of the bills, which often became a good deal swollen in consequence. Often also their beaks would become interlocked. They would keep up this peck-pecking hoiir after hour in a most relentless fashion. On 0110 occasion I saw a hen succeed ii; driving another off one of the old nests which she occupied. The vanquished one squatted 011 the ground a tew yards a way with rumpled feathers and "huffy" appearance, while the other walked on to the nest and assumed the "ecstatic." attitude. Nothing but animosity could have induced this act, as thousands of old. unoccupied nests lay all around. 4 * On October IS the weather cleaied and a fair number of penguins started to build their nests. Tile great majorits, however, apparently resting, still sat about. Those that built took iheir stones from old nests, as at present .so many of these lay 'unoccupied. Thev niade quite large nests, some inches high at the sides, with a comfortable hollow in the middle to sit in. The stone carrying was done by the male birds, the liens keeping continual guard over the nest, as otherwise tlie pair would have, been robbed of the fruits of their labors as fast as they were acquired. As I strolled through the rookerv most of tht birds took little, or no notice of me. Some, however, s-woro at me very savagely, and one infuriated penguin rushed at me from a distance of some ten yards, seizing the leg of my wjndproof trousers. Tlie consciousness of guilt alwav* makes a. penguin smooth "his .feathers and look small, while indignation has the opposite effect. Often when observing a knoll crowded 'with nesting Penguinsj I have seen an apparentlv under-sized individual slipping quietly along among the nests, and always by his subsequent proceedings be has Mirned out to be a robber 011 the hunt i'ir his neighbors' stones. The others too, seemed to know it and would hav? a peck at him as he passed them. At last he would find a hen seater! unwarily on her nest, slide up behind her. deftly and silently grab a etouc and run off triumphantly with it to bU mate, who was busily arranging her own home. Time after time he would return to the same spot, the poor depredated nest-holder being quite oblivious of the fact" that the side of he: nest which lay behind her was slowly hut surely vanishing stone by stone. As I grew to know these birds from continued observation it was surprsing and interesting to note how muc.i they differed in character, though tlio weaker-minded who would actually allow themselves to be robbed were few and far between, as might be expected. Few if any of these ever could succeed in hatching their young and winning i thorn through to the "feathered stage. When starting to make her nest the Usual procedure is for the lien to squat 011 the ground for some time, probably to thaw it, then working' with her flaws to scratch away at the mater ill beneath her, shooting out the rubble behind her.-, As she do>'S this sin; shifts her Dosition in a circular direction until she has scraped out a roundthollow. Then the cock brings stones, performing journey after journey, returniii't each time with one pebble in his beak which he deocsits in front of the he:i. Tvho places it in position. On the ice they have two modes ■ >} progression. The first is simple walking. Their legs being vorv short, their stride amounts at most to four inches. Their rate of stepping averages about 120 steps per minute when 011 thv march. Their second mode of progression 1■'"'tobogganing." When wearied I>\ walking or when the surface is particular! v suitable, they fall forward onto their white breasts, smooth and shimmering with a- beautiful metallic hwt'-e in the sunlight, and push themselves along by alternate powerful litt-b Strokes of their legs behind them. -Walking actually among the nests your temper is tried sorely, as every

bird within reach lias a peck at. your legs, and occasionally a cock attacks you bravely, battering you with his little flappers in a manner ludicrous L at first, but aggravating alter a time, as the operation is painful and sevei i enough to leave bruises behind it. The hen would establish herself ;;'i ' an old nesi. or in some cit-'-e.s scoop out a hollow in the ground and sit 'n or by this, waiting lor a male to propose himself. She would not attempt to build while she remained unmated. During the first week of the nesting season, when plenty of fresh arrivals were continually pouring into thcrokery, she did not have, long to wait as a rule. Later, when the rookery was getting filled up and only a few birds remained unmated in that vast crowd of some three-quarters of :t. "million her chances were not so good. Eor example, 011 November 16. on a ' knoll thickly populated by mated birds, many of which already had eg"s, a hen was observed to have scooped a little hollow in the ground and to be sitting in this. Day after, day she sat on, looking thinner and sadder as time passed, and mating 110 attempt to build her nest. At last, on November 27. she had her reward, for 1 found that a cock had joined her, and she was busily building her nest in the little scoop she had made .so long -before, her husband steadily working away to provide her with the necessary pebbles. Her forlorn appearance of the past ten days had entirely given place to ail air of occupation and happiness. AVhen starting to light the cock:; sometimes peck at each other with their beaks, but always they very soon start to use their flippers, standing up to one another and raining in the blows with such rapidity as to make* :t sound which, in the words of Dr A\ ilson, resembles that of a boy running and dragging his hoopstick along an iron naiing. Soon they start ''infighting." in which position bird lights right handed, the other left handed: that is to say. one leans his left breast against his opponent, swinging in his blows with his right flippers, the other presenting his right breast and using his left.Hipper. It 's interesting to note that these birds, though fighting with one flipper only, are ambidextrous. While batei mg one ' another with might and main they use their weight at the same time, and ns one outlasts the other 110 drives his vanquished opponent before him over the ground as a trained boxing man 1 when "iii-liglitiug" drives his ex- { liausted opponent around the ring. Desperate as these encounters are, 1 j don't, think one penguin ever kills an- ; other. In many cases blood is drawn. , I saw one with an eye put out, and , that side of its beak (the right side) clotted with blood, while the crimson , print of a blood-stained flipper across , a white breast was 110 uncommon sight. < Hard as tliey can hit with their flippers. however, they arc also well pro- , tec-ted by their feathers, and being I'jar- j vellously tough and enduring the end of j a hard "fight merely finds the vanquish- j ed bird prostrate with exhaustion and with most of the breath beaten out of his little body. The victor is invariably satisfied with this and does not seek to despatch him with his beak. Let me here call attention to the fact that not a' single bird out of all those thousands had left the rookery once it had entered it. Consequently not a ■ single bird had taken food of any de- ( scription during all the most strenuous part of the breeding season, and as they did not start to feed till' November 8 j thousands had to my knowledge fasted , for 110 fewer than twenty-seven days. Now of all the days of the year these , twenty-seven are certainly the mo.st trying during the life of the Adelie. AA'ith-the exception, in some cases, of . a few hours immediately after arrival : (and I believe the later arrivals could 1 not afford themselves even this short respite) constant vigilance had been 1 maintained; battle alter battle had i been fought: some had been nearly j killed in savage encounters, recovered. 1 fought again and again with varying fortune. They had mated at last, built < their nests, procreated their species ' and. in short, met the severest trials that nature can inflict upon mind and bodv and at the end of" it, though in main- cases blood-stained in all , caked and bedraggled with mire, they were as active and as brave as ever. j The skuas had increased considerably | in numbers bv November 4 and fronuriit.lv came to the scrap heap outside . our hut. Here were many frozen car- ( cases of penguins which we had thrown j there after the breasts had been removed for food during the past winter. , The skuas picked the bones quite clean of flush, so that the skeletons lav white. ; under the shins, and it was remarkable , to what distances they sometimes car- j ried the carcases, which weighed con- J siderablv more than the skuas them- ; selves. I found some of these bodies over five hundred yards away. A perpetual feud was earned 011 between the penguins and the skuas. Ibe 1 laLter birds come to the south in the • .sitmmer and make their nests close to > and in some cases actually among those of the penguins and during the breeding time live almost entirely 011 the ' eirgs and later 011 Lb- chicks. They never attack the adult penguins, who j run at them and drive them away when they light within reach, but as the skuas can take to the wing and _ the penguins cannot 110 pursuit is possible. The skuas fly about over the rookery, keeping only a few yards I rom the , ground, and should one of them see a nest vacated and the eggs exposed, if , onlv for a few seconds, it swoops at , this and with scarcely a pause in :ts , I'iniit transfixes an egg upon its beak and carries it to an open space 011 the ground, there to devour the contents. . Here then was another need for constant vigilance, and so daring did the 3 skuas become that often when a penguin sat on a nest carelessly, so as to 1 leave one of the eggs protruding from : under it. a lightning dash from a skua would result in the egg being borne triumphantly away. . , The bitterness of the penguins hatred of the skuas was well shown- m the neighborhood of our scrap heap. None of the .food thrown out on to this hcai> was of the least use to the penguins, but we noticed after a time that almost always there were one or more penguins there keeping guard against tile skuas and doing their utmost to prevent them from getting the food and never allowing them to light on the heap for more than a lew seconds at a time. 111 fact, a constant feature of this heap was the sentry penguin, darting hither and thither, aiming savpecks? at "the skuas, which would tlien rise a yard or two into the air out of enemy, the penguin squalling in its anger at- being unable to follow its enemy. At this juncture the penguin would imitate the flying motion with its flippers, seeming instinctively to attempt to mount into the air. During the fasting season, as none of the penguins had-entered the water, they all became very dirty and disreputable- in appearance, as well may be, imagined considering the life they led. but now that they went regularly to swim tliey immediately got back their sleek and spotless state. From the ice foot to the open water the half mile or so of sea presented a lively scene as the thousands of birds nassed to and fro over it. outward bound parties of dirty birds iroiii the l-oukery passing the spruce bathers, homeward bound after their banquet and" frolic in the sea. So interesting , and instructive was it to watch the 'bathing parties that we spent whole days in this way. The couples took turn and turn about 011 the nest, one remaining to - guard and incubate while the other went off to the water.

On leaving tlieir nests the birds made their way down the ice foot onto the sea ice. Here they would' generally wait about and join up with the others until enough had gathered together to make ui> a decent little narty, which would then set off gftvly for the water. As a band of spotless bathers 10turning to the rookery, their white breasts and black backs glistening with a tine metallic lustre in tie.' sunlight, met a dirtv and bedraggled- party on its way out front the nesting ground freouentlv both would stoo and the clean and dirty mingle together and chatter with one another for some minutes. It tliev were not sneaking words in some language o" their own their whole a|i-P"ar-iiico he lied them, end as tliev stood, s-onie in pairs, some in gronns oi throe or four, chattering amicably together it became evident that they were sociable animals, glad to meet one another. and like many men., pleased with

the excuse to forget for a while their duties al home. where their mates were waiting to be relieved lor their own S|)ell cif the nests. After a variable period of this intercourse- the two parties would separate ami continue 011 their respective ways, a clean stream issuing from tiie crowd in the direction, of the rookery, a dirty one heading off toward the open

water, but here it was seen that a few who had bathed and fed and were already perhaps halfway home had been persuaded to return and accompany the others, and so back they would go again over the way they had come, to spend a. lew more' hours in skylarking and splashing about in the sea. In .speaking of these games of the penguins I wish to lay emphasis 011 the fact that these hours of relaxation plav a large part in their lives during the advanced part of the breeding period. They would spend hours in playing at a. .sort of "touch last" 011 the sea ice near the water's edge. They never played on the ground of the rookery.itself, but only on the sea ice and the ice foot and in the water, and I may here mention another favorite pastime of theirs. I hare said that the tide flowed past the rookery at the rate of some five or six knots. Small ice floes are continually drifting past in the water-, and as one of these arrived at the top of the ice foot it Mould be boarded by a crowd of penguins, sometimes until it could hold 110 more. This "excursion boat," as wc used to call it, would float its many occupants down the whole length of the ice foot, and if it passed close to tho edge those that rode on the floes would shout at the knots of penguinsgathered along the ice foot, who would would shout at them in reply, so that a gay bantering seemed to accompany their passage past the rookery. The reluctance shown by each individual of a' party of intending bathers to be the first to enter the water may partly have been explained when, later 011, we discovered that a largo number of sea leopards were gathered in the sea in the neighborhood of the rookery to prey 'on the penguins. These formidable animals used to lurk beneath tile overhanging ledges of the ice foot, out ,of sight of the birds on -the ice overhead. They lay quite still in the water, only their heads protruding, until a party of Adelies would descend into the water almost on top of them, when with a sudden dash, and snap of their great formidable jaws they would secure one of the birds.

All that we could do to protect our friends was to shoot as many of those sea leopards as possible, and though we may have made some difference, there were always many about.

Some idea of the depredations committed .by these animals may be gathered from the fact that in the st.omacb of one which, we shot I- found the '.bodies of eighteen penguins in various stages of digestion, the beast's intestines- being literally stuffed with the feathers remaining from the disintegration of many more.