or Penguin, in ornithology, a genus of birds of the order of palmipeds; distinguished by Mr Latham by the following characters. The bill is strong, straight, more or less bending towards the point, and furrowed on the sides; the nostrils are linear, and placed in the furrows; the tongue is covered with strong spines, pointing backwards; the wings are small, very like fins, and covered with no longer feathers than the rest of the body, and are useless in flight; the body is clothed with thick short feathers, having broad shafts, and placed as compactly as the scales of fishes; the legs are short, thick, and placed very near the vent; the toes are four, and are all placed forwards, the interior are loose, and the rest are webbed; the tail is very stiff, consisting of broad shafts scarcely webbed.

It is agreed that Penguins are inhabitants of southern latitudes only; being, as far as is yet known, found only on the coasts of South America from Port Desire to the Straits of Magellan; and Frezier says they are found on the western shore as high as Concepcion. In Africa they seem to be unknown, except on a small island near the Cape of Good Hope, which takes its name from them. They are found in vast numbers on land during the breeding season; for they seldom come on shore but at that time: they form burrows under ground. ground like rabbits; and the isles they frequent are perfectly undermined by them.

Their attitude on land is quite erect, and on that account they have been compared by some to pygmies, by others to children with white bibs. They are very tame, and may be driven like a flock of sheep. In water they are remarkably active, and swim with vast strength, assisted by their wings, which serve instead of fins. Their food in general is fish; not but that they will eat grass like geese.

Mr Latham remarks, that this genus appears to hold the same place in the southern division of the earth that the awks do in the northern; and that, however authors may differ in opinion on this head, they ought not to be confounded with one another. The pinguin is never seen but in the temperate and frigid zones south of the equator, while the awk only appears on the parallel latitudes north of the equator; for neither of these genera have yet been observed within the tropics. Forster, in his voyage (vol. i. page 92.), says, he saw one for the first time in lat. 46° south, nor are they ever met with nearer than 40 degrees south. Id. Intro. Dif. on Pinguins, Comment. Got. vol. 3d.

The wings of the pinguin are scarcely anything else than mere fins, while the awk has real wings and gills, though they be but small. The former has four toes on each foot, the latter only three. While swimming, the pinguin sinks wholly above the breast, the head and neck only appearing out of the water; while the awk, like most other birds, swims on the surface. There are several other peculiarities which serve to distinguish the two genera, but what we have mentioned are doubtless sufficient.

"The bodies of the pinguin tribe (says our author) are commonly so well and closely covered with feathers that no wet can penetrate; and as they are in general excessively fat, these circumstances united secure them from cold. They have often been found above 700 leagues from land; and frequently on the mountains of ice, on which they seem to ascend without difficulty, as the soles of their feet are very rough and suited to the purpose." Mr Latham enumerates nine different species of this genus, besides two varieties of the black-footed pinguin or diomedea.

1. The first, which is a very beautiful species, our author calls the crested pinguin. The birds of this species are 23 inches long; the bill is three inches long, and of a red colour, with a dark furrow running along on each side to the tip; the upper mandible is curved at the end, the under is obtuse; the irides are of a dull red; the head, neck, back, and sides are black. Over each eye there is a stripe of pale yellow feathers, which lengthens into a crest behind, nearly four inches long; the feathers on each side of the head, above this stripe, are longer than the rest, and stand upward, while those of the crest are decumbent, but can be erected on each side at pleasure; the wings, or rather fins, are black on the outside, edged with white; on the inside they are white; the breast and all the under parts are also white; the legs are orange, and the claws are dusky. The female has a streak of pale yellow over the eye, but it is not prolonged into a crest behind as in the male.

This species inhabits Falkland's Islands, and was likewise met with in Kerguelen's Land, or Isle of Desolation, as well as at Van Diemen's Land, and New Holland, particularly in Adventure Bay. They are called hopping pinguins and jumping jacks, from their action of leaping quite out of the water, on meeting with the least obstacle, for three or four feet at least; and indeed, without any seeming cause they often do the same, appearing chiefly to advance by that means. This species seems to have a greater air of liveliness in its countenance than others, yet is in fact a very stupid bird, so much so as to suffer itself to be knocked on the head with a stick when on land. Forster says he found them difficult to kill, and when provoked, he adds, they ran at the sailors in flocks, and pecked their legs, and spoiled their clothes. When angered too they erect their crests in a beautiful manner. These birds make their nests among those of the pelican tribe, living in tolerable harmony with them; and lay seldom more than one egg, which is white, and larger than that of a duck. They are mostly seen by themselves, seldom mixing with other pinguins, and often met with in great numbers on the outer shores, where they have been bred. They are frequently so regardless as to suffer themselves to be taken by the hand. The females of this species lay their eggs in burrows, which they easily form of themselves with their bills, throwing out the dirt with their feet. In these holes the eggs are deposited on the bare earth. The general time of sitting is in October; but some of the species, especially in the colder parts, do not sit till December, or even January. How long they sit is not known.

2. The second species mentioned by Latham is the patagonian. It is distinguished by this name not only because it is found on that coast, but also because it exceeds in bulk the common pinguins as much as the natives are said to do the common race of men. It was first discovered by Captain Macbride, who brought one of them from Falkland Islands off the Straits of Magellan. The length of the stuffed skin of this particular bird measured four feet three inches, and the bulk of the body seemed to exceed that of a swan. The bill was four inches and a half long, slender, straight, bending on the end of the upper mandible, with nostrils. The tongue half the length of the bill, and singularly armed with strong sharp spikes pointing backwards. The plumage is most remarkable, the feathers lying over one another with the compactness of the scales of a fish; their texture equally extraordinary; the shafts broad and very thin; the vanes unwebbed; the head, throat, and hind part of the neck, are of a deep brown colour; from each side of the head to the middle of the fore part of the neck are two lines of bright yellow, broad above, narrow beneath, and uniting half way down; from thence the same colour widens towards the breast, fading away till it is lost in pure white, of which colour is the whole under side of the body, a dusky line dividing it from the colour of the upper part. The whole back is of a very deep ash-colour, almost dusky; but the end of each feather is marked with a blue spot, those about the junction of the wings larger and paler than the others. The wings are in this species, as in all the others, extremely short in respect to the size of the bird; hang down, and have the appearance of fins, whose office they perform; their length is only 14 inches; on the outside they are dusky, and covered vered with scale-like feathers, or at best, with such whose shafts are so broad and flat as scarce to be distinguished from scales; those on the ridge of the wings consisting entirely of shaft; the larger, or quill feathers, have some very short webs. The tail consists of 30 brown feathers, or rather thin shafts, resembling split whale-bone; flat on the upper side, concave on the under, and the webs short, unconnected, and briskly. From the knees to the end of the claws six inches, covered with strong pentangular black scales; the fore toe scarce an inch long, and the others so remarkably short, as to evince the necessity of that strength of the tail, which seems intended as a support to the bird in its erect attitude; in the same manner as that of the woodpecker is when it clings to the sides of trees: between the toes is a strong fleshy membrane, continued up even part of the claws; the middle claw is near an inch long, and the inner edge very sharp and thin; the interior toe is small, and placed very high. The skin is extremely tough and thick; which, with the closeness of the feathers, guards it effectually in the element wherein it is so conversant.

This species, which was, as we have seen, first met with in Falkland Islands, has since been seen in Kerguelen's Land, New Georgia, and New Guinea. M. Bougainville caught one, which soon became so tame as to follow and know the person who had care of it: it fed on flesh, fish, and bread; but after a time grew lean, pined away, and died. The chief food, when at large, is thought to be fish; the remains of which, as well as crabs, shell-fish, and molluscs, were found in the stomach. This species is the fattest of the tribe; and therefore most so in January when they moult. They are supposed to lay and sit in October. They are met with in the most deserted places. Their flesh is black, though not very unpalatable. This has been considered as a solitary species, but has now and then been met with in considerable flocks. They are found in the same places as the papuan penguins, and not unfrequently mixed with them; but in general show a disposition of associating with their own species.

3. The third species is denominated papuan. It is about 2½ feet long, being a little bigger than that which is called the Cape Penguin. This species inhabits the Isle of Papos, or New Guinea; and has been met with at Falkland Isles and Kerguelen's Land; it is often found among the patagonian penguins.

4. The antarctic penguin is about 2½ inches long, and weighs about 11½ pounds. The bill is upwards of 2½ inches long; the upper parts of the body are black, the under are glossy white; beneath the chin there is a narrow streak of a blackish colour, passing backward towards the hind head, a little bent about the region of the ears; the wings are much the same as in the other species; the tail is cuneiform; the feathers, or rather bristles, of which it is composed are black and in number 32; the legs are of a flesh colour, and the soles of the feet are black.

"This species (says Latham) inhabits the south sea, from 48 degrees to the antarctic circle; and is frequently found on the ice mountains and islands, on which it ascends; it is a pretty numerous species. Our last voyagers found them in plenty in the Isle of Desolation. And it was observed, that in an island they touched at, not greatly distant, the rocks were almost covered with penguins and shags; the first most probably of this sort."

5. For the black-footed penguin, or diomedea demersa, see Diomedea.

6. The magellanic species is about the size of the antarctic penguin. They are about 2 feet and sometimes 2½ feet long, and weigh 11 pounds. The bill is black, having a transverse band across near its tip; the head and neck are black, except a few markings here and there; the upper parts of the body and wings are of the same colour; the under parts of both are white from the breast, except a narrow band of black passing at a little distance within the white on the breast, and downwards on each side, beneath the wings, quite to the thighs; the legs are of a reddish colour, irregularly spotted on the thighs; and the claws are black. This species, which is very numerous, inhabits the Straits of Magellan, Staten Land, Terra del Fuego, and Falkland islands. Far from being timid, these birds will often attack a man and peck his legs. As food they are not at all unpalatable. They often mix with sea-wolves among the rushes, burrowing in holes like a fox. They swim with prodigious swiftness. They lay their eggs in collective bodies, resorting in incredible numbers to certain spots, which their long residence has freed from grass, and to which were given the name of towns.—Penrose observes, that they composed their nests of mud, a foot in height, and placed as near one another as may be. It is possible that they may have different ways of nesting, according to the places they inhabit; or perhaps the manners of this may be blended with those of another. "Here, (says he, i.e. in the places they frequent), during the breeding season, we were presented with a sight which conveyed a most dreary, and I may say awful, idea of the defection of these islands by the human species—a general stillness prevailed in these towns; and whenever we took our walks among them, in order to provide ourselves with eggs, we were regarded indeed with sidelong glances, but we carried no terror with us.

"The eggs are rather larger than those of a goose, and laid in pairs. When we took them once, and sometimes twice in a season, they were as often replaced by the birds; but prudence would not permit us to plunder too far, lest a future supply in the next year's brood might be prevented." They lay some time in November, driving away the albatrosses, which have hatched their young in turn before them. The eggs were thought palatable food, and were preserved good for three or four months.

7. The collared penguin is a very little less than the papuan, being 18 inches long. The bill, which is black, is similar to that of the patagonian penguin; the irises are black; the eye is surrounded with a bare skin of a blood colour, of an oval shape, and three times as large as the eye itself; the head, throat, hind part of the neck, and sides, back, wings, and tail, are all black; the fore part of the neck, breast, belly, and thighs, are white, extending round the neck, where the white begins, like a collar, except that it does not quite meet at the back part; the legs are black.

This species inhabits New Guinea. It was also seen by Dr Foster near Kerguelen's Land; and again on two isles adjoining to the island of South Georgia.

8. For 8. For the red-footed pinguin, or phaeton demersus, see PHAETON.

9. The small, or, as Latham calls it, the little pinguin, is about the size of a teal, being 15 inches long. The bill, which is of a dusky colour, is about 1\(\frac{1}{4}\) long, and shaped like that of the phaeton demersus; the upper parts of the bird from the head to the tail appear to be of a cinereous blue colour, of which colour are the ends of the feathers; the base of them, however, is brown black, and the shafts of each of the same colour; the under parts from chin to vent are white; the wings are dusky above and white beneath; the tail, which is exceedingly short, consists of 16 stiff feathers, which are scarcely perceptible; the legs are of a dull red colour; the webs are dusky, and the claws are black.

This species is pretty commonly found among the rocks on the southern parts of New Zealand, but they are most frequent at Dusky Bay. They make deep burrows on the sides of the hills, in which they lay their eggs: these holes are so thick in some parts, that a person is scarcely able to walk three or four steps without falling into one of them up to the knees. The inhabitants of Queen Charlotte's Sound kill them with sticks, and, after skinning them, esteem the flesh as good food. They are known at New Zealand by the name of korora.—"These birds (says Latham), I have found to vary both in size and colour: some are much smaller than others, quite black above, and measure only 1\(\frac{1}{3}\) inches in length; others are rather larger, and of a plain lead-colour on the upper parts, and the wings black, though all are white, or nearly so, beneath. The legs in these two last are marked with black at the ends of the toes; and the claws are black."