"That's good news." "Is it ?" said Eric.

"I didn't think you cared about them so much." "Ah, I'm looking out for their eggs," replied Fritz.
"Why, you never seemed to fancy them last year, old fellow," said the sailor lad surprised.

"What means this change of view on your part ?" "Well, you know, when we arrived here first, the birds were already sitting; and, I certainly confess I did not care about the eggs then, for they would probably have been half addled! Now, however, if we look out each day, we can get them quite fresh, when they'll be ever so much better.

Young Glass told us, as you ought to remember, that they tasted very nice and not in the least fishy." "Oh, yes, I recollect," said Eric.

"I will keep a good look-out for them now you say they're worth looking after!" And he did.
The two male birds, who first came, were succeeded on the following day by half a dozen more, a large number coming later on the same afternoon.
All these penguins were in their best plumage, and very fat and lazy, contenting themselves with lolling about the beach for a day or two, as if to recover from the fatigues of their journey.
Then, after a solemn conference together close to the rookery, the birds began to prepare their nests, so as to be ready for the reception of the females, which did not make their appearance for nearly a month after the first male penguins were seen.
A fortnight later, there was in almost each nest an egg of a pale blue colour, very round in shape and about the size of a turkey's--the sight of which much gratified Master Eric, who, fearless of consequences, made a point of investigating the tussock-grass colony every morning.