Gene Jarvis: Macaroni Penguins

Artist: Gene Jarvis
1921 - 1990
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1979
Image Size: 9.5 by 9 inches
Overall Size: 12.75 by 12.5 inches
Medium: Pen and Ink on Hot Press Illustration Board

In his icy kingdom, the comic-looking Macaroni Penguin is easily recognized by the distinctive crests above his eyes. And, it was these crests that earned him his name which means "dandy, conceited about clothes." Since this unusual bird lives in such a barren, icy land and spends much time in the cold Antarctic waters, he must have special ways to conserve his body heat. When in water, he does this by being much more active than he is on land. This raises his metabolic rate and causes his body temperature to remain constant. Also, he has a very thick layer of subcutaneous fat and this coupled with his thick waterproof plumage and the air trapped beneath it form a very effective protection. With these adaptations, the Macaroni Penguin is perfectly equipped to live in the huge penguin colonies on British Antarctic Territory's icy shores. Especially at breeding time, he is a very sociable animal, and he joins hundreds of thousands, even millions, of penguins in a single breeding colony. There, the female will lay three eggs. These eggs are of varying size -- the first being quite small, the seond up to fifty percent larger. Often, the first egg is lost or destroyed at the beginning of incubation. When the remaining eggs hatch, they reveal little chicks covered in a sparse downy coat. These young are carefully brooded for over a week then they begin to regulate their own body temperature. However, they keep their woolly plumage until they are nearly full grown.

This artwork was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the British Antarctic Territory 3p Macaroni Penguins stamp issued January 14, 1979.

Artwork Copyright © 1979 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB05419

US$ Price: Reg. $950.00 Today $475.00

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