PENGUINS, AND THEIR HOMES IN OTAGO AND STEWART ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2006, 4 August 1892, Page 44

PENGUINS, AND THEIR HOMES IN OTAGO AND STEWART ISLAND.

By Apakata Renata.

There are no peqguins in the northern hemisphere in a natural etate. The few specimens to be seen at different zoological parks and gardens in Europe have been sent from southern latitudes. They must have elicited surprise from naturalists and visitors to the Zoo when first exposed to view. Their curious waddle in an upright position, with those helpless paddles or flippers banging from their side 3in place of wings, looking so useless and grotesque, must have been a source of wonder to one and all. They must have attracted attention from all who like to look on curiosities in life, and to this day they form a feature in the larger aquariums, and get special attention. 'j.o look at a penguin on land one would suppose it could not travel fast even in the water. Its paddles do not look like a means of speedy locomotion, even when used under water. But, these paddle 3do propel it, and at a terrible speed. Not even the porpoise, that wonder of speed, can keep up with th 6 larger penguin (Eudyptea antipodes). It will take a dive, when free from the shore, of three to five chains, or 100 ft to 400 ft, and then literally shoot out of the water 4 or sft high, and plunge in again at 100 ft from where it came out. This is when it takes a freßh supply of air or a long breath. It keeps on travelling at this rate and in this manner for miles when it has been disturbed, and neither fish, animal, nor bird can travel at the speed it attains. To watch 20 or 100 of them travelling in this manner is very interesting. They all jump out irregularly, »Dd appear like gigantic flying fish on a voyage. When in search of food they do not travel far from one spot, and appear lazy, floating leisurely on tho surface after each dive. But directly they fear danger they move in the manner described and at a terrible speed.

My .fir&t peDguin was caughb in Otago Harbour, having come in to find a suitable place to moult. It was placed in the garden by a small trickle of water. It urould not touch any food, but drank a sip of water at times and ate some grass. I tried to get it to eat opened oysters, fresh fisb, and other dainties, which I thought a. penguin would like, bub to no purpose. Well, my pet remained plucking off its feathers for over a, month in this solitary manner. Then one Sunday morning I noticed it walking along the garden path in the direction of the bay, a distance of 500 ft oi 600 ft. When it arrived at the stone embankment facing the bay it looked round and evidently saw no means of getting to the wa-er easily, so it just tumbled itselt down a distance of lift, then went into the water and made a flutter to give itself a. bath, took a small dive, and then took a long dive nearly out of sight. Thih was the last I saw of penguins for some time. My next sight cf them was whila on an expedition in search of Maori curios, where while travelling along tho coast of the Otago Peninsula, my companion aud self struck a penguin track in the bush. We were about quarter of a mile in the bush on this track, ami then did not see the end of it. There were dozens of theso stupid birds tumbling about, and when they could not pass us they would attack us with their strong beaks and strike us with their paddles ab the same time. Although neither of us got much hurt, still it was not pleasant to have a penguin holding on to your trousers and flapping at you like mad. I tried to find a nest, but I fancy it was rather early in the season. Their lra«kb are very well defined, and lead far into the bubh.

My next experience of penguins was gained while staying at Stewarts Island for a couple of years. Part of the 'time I was living on an island inhabited by myself, my cat, three or four goats, and a few thousand of the smaller penguins. This inland was situated in Paterson's Inlet, and about eight or 10 acres in extent. The soil was peaty, and it was covered with rata bush. In this peaty soil the penguins laid their eggs, either in holes made by them or in hollow roots. I used to go out now and again and get a dozen eggs or more to eat. I considered them a delicacy, and good flavoured. During the day was the feeding time so far as I could judge. On a calm day when the water was clear I often 'saw them darting about under water close to where i was yUnted in the scrub. I could not see the fish under water, but could see the penguins, and when they came to the surface I could see the fi&h they had secuiod At mght my island was a very noisy place, as they used io make a great ciy. They went in pairs, and when one got ashore the first thing to do was to call its mate, and then the answer would come irotn the middle of the island, and when they met on tjie penguin track they had a great talk. The noise they made was very annoying to me ab first when I wanted sleep, but in time I gob quite used to it. The penguin tracks are worn down into peat and clay, shewiDg that they ha\e been used many years. When I was much troubled with the noise of different pairs meetiDg on the track near my lent I took a lantern, caught them by the legs, and tbiesv them into the water. But this only gave me temporary, relief, a3 the same or other ones came back again in no time. Wh'en tue glare of the lantern dazed them they were easily caught, as they do not seem to know which way to turn. They are very fond of sipping fresh water, and used to get into my well almost every night till I covered it. When once they got in they could not get out, as in was never full, and 1 had to g«.t them out every night or morning. While fibbing about Scewart Inland J of tan saw the larger perjguius (Eudypte3 antipodes-), and was onco camped on one of thuir tracks. During Lh->. day my males and s-elf did not get inconveni?ucr-d with then), but at n%hf, it was ao joke. The light of Tup and o.'.ule made than so stupid that they got into the tent and into the fire, en the butterdish, and into the potatopot, andcapsizyd the tea billy and pannikin. There were penguins going into the water and out all night, and in 10's and 20's. The croaking and cackling of them was bad enough, bu; the way they annoyed

us at meal times in the evening was very tryiDg, to say the least of it. If one of us got up to chase them away, the fire or a caDdle would confuse them to such, an extent that they would all make a rush for it, and then candle and eatables would suffer. When one of us placed a pannikin of tea to cool in the corner of the tent a penguin would fancy this a safe place to hide, and walk into your hot tea. We were glad to get away, and swore wo would never oamp on a penguin track again.

In the Tautuku Forest, about' a mile and a-half from the mouth of the Catlin's river, is a great place for the large penguin. While I was there for six or eight months, I had good opportunities of watching them ashore. About Bunsefc they come out of the water in great numbers, and as their tracks are narrow they go in single file along them and present a very strange appearance, walking in a stately erect manner till they have to pass over a root or log, and then they give a hop on to it and a hop off. It is astonishing how high they can hop when the length of their legs, which are only 4in or sin long, is taken into account. They can hop about 15in high, and often get on stones that are fully this height to dry themselves. When disturbed, if they are near the water they generally makefor ir, but sometimes tbey prefer the cover of the scrub. When they take to the water they hurry to it, tumbling about and jumping over odds and ends in a' most amußing style till at laßt they get into the water. Then they take a dive, and come out with a shoot like a flying fish, take a breath, and in again. The' speed at which they travel would astonish anyone. I have watched porpoises at sea and along tho coast, and they could not hold a candle to the large penguin,

I found a few dozen nests of these, and watched them till they batched their young. They make a nest in the hollow stump or trunk of a tree, from a few feet asiiore to a quarter of a mile or more. The young ones have down on them till they take to the water, and are fatter and heavier than the parent bird a month after they have been hatcher). Ttiere are, as a rule, two egga in each nest. The large penguins lay a white egg about the size of a duck'a, and the smaller variety about the size of a henV. To watch these strange birds buildiDg their nests is very amusing. Look at the struggle they have with a long piece of stick. Now it gets undwr their feet, then it gets jambed in scrub, and when it is steep I have seen a bird fall head over heels, but still hold on bravely to its stick, and make a fresh effort till at last it succeeded in getting it to its nest.

A fight between a fox terrier and a penguin is considered great sport, although I could not see it in that light The terrier sometimes gets a nasty cut about the eye. a , and the poor bird sometimes gets a lor. of feathers bitten off, and a nasty bito or two in addition.

There is no doubt that between one enemy and another these strange birds will soon bo killed out as far as Otago is concerned. Even now they aro very scarce where I knew them to bo plentiful. The West Ocusb Sounds aud Islands off 'New Zealand will hava them for many years to conic. But even about the Auckland and other islands they are hunted and boiled down by whalers or sealers fur their oil and skins. The king penguin is hardly ever seen now except in museums, and many fine-crested varieties are also noticeable by their absence. OP course they aie of no practical use, and perhaps damage our sea fishes to some extent ; but still from a naturalist's point of view they are very interesting. They have afforded myself and others much amut-e-ment, and I hope a few of them will survive our generation.

— Her Father: "But, my boy, surely you are too young to marry Aurelia. How old are you 1 " Her Suitor : " One-and-t wenty, Mr." Her Father : " And the is 27— t00 gteafc a disparity. Why not wait half-a-dozen years 1 Then you'll be 27, and she'll probably be just about the same age asyoju."