|
People's percepetion of Penguins in 1895
|
| Written by |
| How long have people been fascinated with penguins, obviously a long time? This is what they had to say back in 1895!
Taken from: "Beauties and Wonders of Land and Sea Vol. 2." Farm and
Fireside Library No. 123, May 1895. Published by Mast, Crowell &
Kirkpatrick, Springfield, Ohio. Pp. 254-255.
"The Penguins belong exclusively to cold countries. They rarely quit
the vicinity of land, yet seldom come ashore except in breeding
season or when driven by the squalls or storms from their favorite
element. On shore they are compelled to sit erect. They carry the head
very high and the neck stretched out, while their short winglets are
advanced like two diminutive arms. When they sit perched in flocks on
some lofty projecting rock, they might be mistaken at a distance for a
line of soldiers. At certain periods of the year they assemble for a
sort
of parliament, which is conducted with an obvious degree of
solemnity. When the meeting results in a decision, they proceed to
work with great activity. Upon a ledge of rock, sufficiently level and
of
the necessary size, they trace a square, with one of its sides parallel
and overlooking the edge of the water, which is left open for the
egress of the colony. Then with their beaks they proceed to collect all
the stones in the neighborhood, which they heap up outside the lines
marked out, to serve them as a wall to shelter them from the prevailing
winds. During the night these openings are guarded by sentinels.
They afterward divide the inclosure into smaller squares, each large
enough to receive a certain number of nests, with a passage between
each square. No architect could arrange the plan in a more regular
manner. It has been observed that the Albatross, a bird essentially
aerial and adapted for flight, at this period associates with the
penguins, their nests being found side by side. The whole colony, so
differently constituted, appear to live on the best of terms of
intimacy.
Other sea-birds come to partake of the hospitality of the little
republic.
With the permission of the masters, they build their nests in the
vacancies that occur in the squares.
The female penguin lays but one egg, the male taking her place on
the egg when she goes out in search of food. They are so numerous
in the Antarctic seas that 100,000 eggs have been collected by the
crew of one vessel."
This was before any longterm scientific studies were conducted.
Considering that ship crew's appetite for eggs, it's a wonder the
species survived!
|
| [ Back ] |
Home 
Penguin Place Blog 