File:The polar and tropical worlds - a description of man and nature in the polar and equatorial regions of the globe (1874) (14775584264).jpg

Identifier: polartropicalwor00hartuoft (find matches)
Title: The polar and tropical worlds : a description of man and nature in the polar and equatorial regions of the globe
Year: 1874 (1870s)
Authors: Hartwig, G. (Georg), 1813-1880 Guernsey, Alfred Hudson, 1824-1902
Subjects: Arctic peoples Natural history Antarctica Arctic regions Tropics
Publisher: Guelph, Ont. : J.W. Lyon
Contributing Library: Gerstein - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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purpose of breeding. At this time it is found in vast numberson the Falkland Islands, Kerguelens Land, New Shetland, or Avherever in theAntarctic Seas, peihaps even to the pole itself, a convenient coast invites itsstay. On Possession Island, for instance, a desolate rock, discovered by SirJames Ross in lat. 71° 56, myriads of penguins covered the whole surface ofthe land, along the ledges of the precipices, and even to the summit of the hills.Undaunted by the presence of beings whom they had never seen before, thebirds vigorously attacked the British seamen as they waded through theirranks, and pecked at them with their sharp beaks, a reception which, togetherwith their loud coarse notes, and the insupportable stench of their guano, madeour countrymen but too happy to depart, after having loaded their boat withgeological specimens and penguins. There are several species of this singularbird. The largest and rarest (Ajotenodytes Forsteri) is generally found sin- 896 THE POLAR WORLD.
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THE ALBATROSS. . . ■:■$ THE ANTARCTIC OCEAN. 397 gly, wliile the smaller species always associate in vast numbers. Several werecaught in lat. 77° by Sir James Ross and brought on board alive; indeed itwas a very difficult and a cruel operation to kill them, until hydrocyanic acidwas i-esorted to, of Avhich a tablespoonful effectually accomplished the purposein less than a minnte. These enormous birds varied in weight from sixty toseventy-five pounds. They are remarkably stupid, and allow a man to ap-proach them so near as to strike them on the head with a bludgeon, and some-times, if knocked off the ice into the water, they will almost immediately leapupon it again as if eager for a fight, though without the smallest means eitherof offense or defense. They Avere first discovered during Captain Cooks voyageto the Antai-ctic regions, but Sir James Ross was fortunate in bringing the firstperfect specimens to England, some of which were preserved entire in casks ofstrong pickle, that

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