Shackleton in the Antarctic: Being the story of the British Antarctic expedition, 1907-1909Shackleton, Ernest Henry, Sir
History
Shackleton in the Antarctic: Being the story of the British Antarctic expedition, 1907-1909
Shackleton, Ernest Henry, Sir
Antarctica -- Discovery and exploration -- British; British Antarctic Expedition (1907-1909)
A lost chick was never sought for, indeed there would have been no use
in such a proceeding for it could not be recognised. On account of
this peculiarity we were able to make many readjustments of the family
arrangements. When the blizzard destroyed so many chicks we distributed
the young from nests where there were two to nests where there were
none, and these chicks were usually adopted with eagerness.
When both birds are at a nest that is disturbed, or when the mate comes
up from feeding to relieve guard, there is an interchange of civilities
in the form of a loud squawking in unison, accompanied by a curious
movement. The birds' necks are crossed, and at each squawk they are
changed from side to side, first right then left. We were for some time
mistaken in thinking that this harsh clamour was quarrelling.
A bird returning from the sea came to the wrong nest and tried to
converse with the occupant, who would have nothing to do with him.
The occupant knew that her mate had just gone off for the day, and
would not be such a fool as to return too early, so she sat still,
indifferent to the squawking of the other. Presently a look of distress
came into the visitor's face as he failed to get a response, but he was
very slow to realise that he had made a mistake.
The Adelies are not demonstrative of their affections, and it is
difficult to discover if they have any beyond the instinctive affection
for the young. One curious incident, however, did occur, which
possibly, was in opposition to what we expected after a long study of
the penguins' habits.
An injured bird which we had tried to nurse died, and shortly
afterwards a live penguin was found standing by it. We moved the dead
bird to a distance, and after a time found the other again standing
beside it. It was the general opinion that this was the dead bird's
mate which had found it out. From any point of view the occurrence was
puzzling, but I find it less difficult to believe that the bird had
found its dead mate than that it took an interest in a dead stranger,
because there were always plenty of dead birds about a rookery, and the
living went about entirely indifferent to them.
Instances of real kindness were sometimes noticed; for instance, our
passage through the rookery frightened away the parent of a very young
chick, and a bird passing a few yards away noticed this and came over
to the chick. The bird cocked his head on one side as if saying:
"Hullo! this little beggar's deserted; must do something for him." Then
he tickled its bill, but the chick was too frightened to feed. After
coaxing it in this way the bird turned away and put some food on the
ground, and then lifting a little in his bill he put some on each side
of the chick's bill. This was not an isolated case, but was observed
on several occasions, the helper always running off when the rightful
parent returned.
[Illustration: Penguins listening to the Gramophone during the Summer]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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