black heads, long sharp beaks, white breasts, and bluish backs.
Their wings were so short that they looked more like the fins of a
fish, and, indeed, we soon saw that they used them for the purpose
of swimming under water. There were no quills on these wings, but
a sort of scaly feathers; which also thickly covered their bodies.
Their legs were short, and placed so far back that the birds, while
on land, were obliged to stand quite upright in order to keep their
balance; but in the water they floated like other water-fowl. At
first we were so stunned with the clamour which they and other sea-
birds kept up around us, that we knew not which way to look, - for
they covered the rocks in thousands; but, as we continued to gaze,
we observed several quadrupeds (as we thought) walking in the midst
of the penguins.

"Pull in a bit," cried Peterkin, "and let's see what these are.
They must be fond of noisy company, to consort with such
creatures."

To our surprise we found that these were no other than penguins
which had gone down on all fours, and were crawling among the
bushes on their feet and wings, just like quadrupeds. Suddenly one
big old bird, that had been sitting on a point very near to us,
gazing in mute astonishment, became alarmed, and, scuttling down
the rocks, plumped or fell, rather than ran, into the sea. It
dived in a moment, and, a few seconds afterwards, came out of the
water far a-head, with such a spring, and such a dive back into the
sea again, that we could scarcely believe it was not a fish that
had leaped in sport.

"That beats everything," said Peterkin, rubbing his nose, and