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Les diagrammes suivants lllustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 %<- rfsoi SIVai'HSONIAN INSTITUTION. UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. THE EXPEDITION TO THE FUNK ISLAND, WITH OBSERVATIONS UPON THE HISTORY AND ANATOMY OF THE GREAT AUK. BY FREDERIC A. LUCAS, Assistant Curator of i lie Depart »iint of Comparative Anatomy. From the Report of the National Museum, i887-'88, pages 493-529, and plates I^XXI-IyXXIII. i WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1890. sMiriisoNiAX iNsrri i''ii()N. ■ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. THE EXPEDITION TO THE i^UNK ISLAND. WITH OBSERVATIONS UPON THE HISTORY AND ANATOMY OF THE GREAT AUK. BY FREDERIC A. LUCAS, Assislaiit L'lirutiiy nf tlio J/i'paytiiifnl af Ci'iiiparalii-r Ainiloiiiy. I! Kroiii the Report of the Xuliouiil Miiseiun, iSSy-'SS, pages .tv3-5J<), niicl plates I,XXI-I,XXII1. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTINa OFFICE. 1S90, BSS^i ? r I f The Expedition to Fxtnk Island, with Observations upon the History and Anatomy of the (Ireat Auk. By FnKDKuic A. Lucas. Note.— In 188.5 the writer snggpstofl to ProfcsHor Haird tho desirability of visiting Fuiili Island for tbo piirposfi of obtaining roinains of tlie Groat Aul<, but in vifw of tho attendant oxpenso and many ditUcnlties to be surmounted, the project was not tlion carried out. In 1887 Profossor Ha 'd decided to send tlie U. S. Fish Commission schooner (Iram- pus to northeastern Nowfonndland and Labrador to iuvestigatti tlie truth of tho many reports of the abundance of mackorol in tho .idjacent waters, and since the route i)ro- posed would take tho vessel to the vicinity of Funk Island, the writer was detailed to accompany the expedition. Tho Qrampiis loft. Gloucester, Massachusetts, on July 2, and returned to VVood'sHcdl, Massachusetts, on September 2, having visitjed the following places: the Magdalen Islands, Bird Kecks, St. .lohns, Newfoundland ; Funk Island, Penguin Islands, otf Cajie Freels; Seldom-Come- Hy, Fogo Island; Toulinguet, Canada Bay, Black Bay, Labrador; Mingan Islands, and Percd, Canada. So far as possible collections were made at these localities, and while in niany tho fauna was extremely scanty, the material obtained was oxtremoly valuable. The collection of bones of the Great Auk obtained at Funk Island equaled in ox- tent all other existing collections combined, and the opportunity was atforded for thoroughly exploring this interesting spot for the first time. Professor Baird never knew of the complete success of the expedition, and the sad intelligence of his death reached the party at Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, while on its return. A.— The Bird Rooks and Funk Island in 1887. It is now about fifty years since the Great Auk succumbed to tbe incessant persecution of man, disappeared almost simultaneously from the shores of Europe and America, and became extinct. Found along the coast of Newfoundland by the early explorers, the countless myriads of this flightless fowl had been hunted to the death with the murderous instincts and disregard for the morrow so charac- teristic of the white race. While from a strictly utilitarian stand^point there may be no reason to mourn ior the Great Auk, the naturalist can but regret its wanton destruction and deplore the loss of so interesting a bird. As the buttalo contributed to the opening of the great West, and the Bhytina aided in the exploration of the northwest coast, the Great Auk played its part in settling Newfoundland, and we may derive what con- solation we can from Richard Whitbourne'a dic^Mm that " God made the innocency of so poor a creature to become such an admirable instrument for the sustentation of man." 493 ifrfrririTiiMiiaii 41)4 KEI'OUT OF NATIONAL MUMKIJM, IH88. Tlio Oiirly iiaviyiitoj-s, tin's Frcndi llslu'iimMi aiul the Kii^liHli ooloiiists, ciu'li iivaili'd flu'iiist'lvc.s to the ntiiiost of the .stotti of this sra-fowl wliutli a (to the iiiiliMtlu'icd l)ii)»'«ls) kindly I'lovidciKui had piacH'd at tlii'ir disposal. For many years the birds were usiul for provision, both fresh and salted, and piobably for bait by the llslu'rnien, bnt yreat as was the drain made on the birds for these pnrposes it set>ms unlikely that this alone would have caused their extermination in so short a time, as the (Jreat Auk was not such a ,'34, makes mention of the bird under the name of Apponath, and in the (ihronides of voyages from 15.'{0 on- ward, it is frequently spoken of under the title of Penfiuin.* There is reason to believe that the (irarefowl was abuiulant at Pen- {iuiu Islands, otl" Cape la Ilune, on the southern (!aliti»'M. liViii^' .'{'J miles out in tlie Atliiiitic, eiix ironed l»y roe.ks and .sliouls, where ilie sea lu'eaks heavily diiiin;; stornus, tho vicinity of Fnnk Island is by no nu'iins attraelivt^ to th«> nioih'rn navi- pitor, Jiinl of lute years has been seldom visited except by Healers, par- ti('s of e;,'{;tMM, and ocreasionai lishernu'n. The sailors of old and the hai'dy eolonists seem to havo habitually rj'sorted to this spot for supplies, partly because there were no cliails to warn them of hidden perils, and i>artly for the reason that suppliei) must be had at any risk.* Tlu'refore the work of slayiufj; the (Ireat Auks went steadily on uidil the last of the si)ecieM had disapp«'ar«'d from the face of the earth, and the place to whicih it resorted for untold aj;'es knew it no nmre. With few exceptions naturalists seem not to have bei'U aware of the fact that the (Ireat Auk wa*. bein^ (^\tern^nated until the catastrophe had actually taken place, and fewer still appear to havo thou},ditof the calamity as occurriufj in America as well as in Europe. Audubon, who, by the way, wrote of the bird at se(N)nd hand, says in his work (published between l.S.JDand 1814) that the (Ireat Auk is rare or a(!ci(hMital on the coast ot Newfoundland, and is said by tishermen, who kill the young f-»r b lit, to breed on a rock otitlie southeast coast of that island. This speaks of the bird as rare, {jivinjf no hint that it was then looked upon as extinct, but in the " (lloucester Tele}>raph" for August 7, 18.'V.), is an article from the " Salem Register" signed " A Fisherman," in which the Great Auk is spoken of as being already externunated. This paragraph which is interesting in that it adds one more cause for the extermiiuition of the bird to those already known, is as follows : All tho iiiiickorcl men who arrive report, tlie Hcarcity of this lisli, iiiid at tlio same time I notice an improvement in taking tliem with nets atCapeCoil ami oilier pi, ires. If this spocnlatit)n is to yo on withont lieing checked or regnlated l)y tlie Govern- ment, will not these fish be as scarce on the coast as penjjnins are, which were so plenty before the Revolutionary War tinit onr fishermen conld take them with their gatfs? Bnt during the war some mercenary and crnel individuals nsed to visit the islands on the eastern coast where were the haunts of these liirds for breeding, and take them for tho sake of tho fat, which they procnred and then let the birds yo.t This proceeding destroyed the whole race. The Kev. William Wilson, who resided in Newfoundland as a mission- ary from 1820 to 1834, and who once preached a sermon against the *The writer has uo intention of pictnring the difflcnlty of lauding on Fnnk Island in too dark colors. It is simply a question of striking a favorable time, and while the dweller on the coast can choose his time, the chance visitor mnst trust to Inck, and Inck is ever an nncertain element. At tlie time of onr visit landing on " Tlie Bench " was a simple matter, althongh at any other point a boat wonld have been dashed to pieces in the surf; a little later another collector lost a fortnight in trying to laud, and then gave it up. tOf late years the peuguins of the Antarctic Seas have been killed by sealers and tried out for oil. 4'JG KKrolCT OK NATIONAL MUHKIIM, IX«H. wiuitnn .sliiii^Mitt't' of tlio hiril,* \vi<»t(> of tlif (irciit Aiik in IH(il tliiit " IliilCu ct'iitiir.v ;iy(» tlu' pni^Miiii wa.s vcr.N plnily. • • • Tin* pen- ^iiiii is now hitl scliliini socn ; niicIi dcsti'iiction ot the bird was made tor tltu Hak<^ of its t'catlicrs that it is now all but extinct. t Tlio iixa(;t derivation of the word pen^nin and the date at which It came into use is uncertain, altli«iii;>'h it occurs in the '^ Vo.va^c of M. Ilore and divers oilier i^cnllenuMi lo Newfoundland and <'ape ilreton in the \eer(^ l.VMi." I'rofesscu' Newton (than wlioni there can Im no better authority) considers it proliabh^ that pen^^iiin is derived from />/u/r /. the fact that the bird was as llijjhth'ss as if pinwin^M'd, in more modern parlance pinioned. This operation consists in bendin;;' down the outer Joint of the win};, as in plucked chicketiM, ur in locking the wings t(»<>e her across the back. Professor Steenstrup, on the other hand, believes the word to be of Wi'hrh oiigin,from pen, white, and //<<•///, In^ad ; and althoujfh tln^ head of (Ireat Aidv is not white, yet there is a largt' white spot Just i'l front of the eye of sulVuMcnt size to warrant the appellation. The French /)««.r/o»//t is of later «late than p(Miguin and was probably derived from the English word, and thoutrh the supposition that both came from the >S[>anish pintfue, fat, meets with no favor from either Professor Newton or I'rofessor Steenstrup, it is after all not without some slight shosv of reason. The lishernu'u of Nornnindy, lirittany, and the Hascpie provinces were the earliest to resort to Newfoundlaiul, and these were on the ground as early as 1504, only seven years after the discovery of the isl- and by Cabot. In 1517 there were forty Portuguese, French, ami Span- ish vessels engaged in the cod fishery; ami in 157S, ac(!ording to llak- luyt, three Imudred and lifty Spanish and French vessels and oidy lifty English. Thus it would appear that there was some chance of the Great Auk having received its original name from the Spanish or French lishermen although the English speaking race has ever possessed the happy fac ulty of forcing its language upon all with whom it comes in contact. That the Great Auk was well known at an early date is shown by Anthonie Parkhurst's statement, written in 1578, that " the Frenchmen who tish neere the grand baie,| doe bring small store of tlesh with them, but victuall themselves with these birds" (i)euguins). The extermination ot the Great Auk took place so suddenly that a comparatively small number of skins, skeletons, and eggs were pre- served in museums, and in America, where the garefowl had been most abundant, scarce a specimen existed. • *Giveu on the autbority of Mr. George A. Boanlninn. tNewfoundiaud and its niiasiouaries, by Rev. William Wilson. Cambridge, 1866. t Probably the Gulf of St. Lawrence, as our own fishermen still speak of this as " The Bay." KXI'KIUTION TO IMJNK JHLANf). 497 I iia Tlio U. S. Niitioiiiil MiiMciiin po.s.s(>.shciin(Mi iiiid iiti o^^, but ill K^'i'i^ <>^'*^i' tlit^ ostcolo^fical cDlltM'.tioit a Hiii|;U^ Iiuiimmiis of tlio (rt'ciit AiiU vviiH all tliiU coiiM Ih> t'oiiixl, ami (n'<>!i this was troin a Ninv Kii);laii(l sIm'II li«M|>. In tlir Npnii^ ot \f>!^~t tluMviitci sii^^csttMl tlia ^reat (IcsiraUilit.v of sciciiriiii;, if possiUln. (iMii'i- I)oih-s of Miis t^xtinct l)it'il, which (M)iiUl ihMiWth'SH bi> tbiiiiil on l<'tink l.slainl, wht'n^ l'rot'oM8or Milne had mckmuimI a niiinhci' (luring a biicf visit in Lh74. This hu^^^cs* tion met witii th<> approval of IM'ot'essor iiaird, luit sonu> (torrcspoiid- enco with t\w IJev. M. Ilaiviiyi of St. . John's, Nt'wroimdlatnl, made vvi- dent the favX that in oi'dcr to insnn^thc snc<;css ofaiM^xpi'dition to Funk iHland Hoino natiiialist should au(;oinpaiiy the party, and that such a trip would entail th;i expenditure of (MMisiderable time and tnoney. So the matter rested until the year of 1H87, when it beeaine apparent that the work of the IJ. H. Fish C'oinmis.sioii woiilil make it desirable for the schooner (huuiipuH to visit theeoast of Newl'oundliind and Labrador, and the question uf visiting Funk Island was referred to Captain Col- lins. The undertakinjj: met with the approval of Captain Collins, who by iudorsin^ the enterprise at the outset, and by cordial cooperation throughout the resulting trip, ensured the complete success of the ex- peditiou. It was my good fortune to be detailed to accompany the (hampus^ primarily to collect remains of the Great Auk, and also to secure as much other anatomical material as might be obtainable. As the proposed route would take the vessel to some localities where little collecting had been done, Mr. William Palmer was also detailed for the trij). He devoted himself especially to the birds and his iuter- esting observations appear elsewhere. A more harmonious i)arty probably never cruised together, and to this, ami to the fact that the rig ami eiiuipment ot the drampm litte\vltMl;;o was ^aiiiiMl, nothing cou- cdiuiuK tlie chararti'i- of thtiMoil, or the cliauce« for ami apiiimtaeiiuring reinaiiiH of the Gn'at AjjU. Ii«avin|f St. John's on the iiioniinjj of July 121, we sailed northward toward Cape lionavista, a headland that Htill hears its ori{;iiial appel- lation, following almost exactly the trai'*f»i> N(>a, this I'oinliiiiatioii ol (|i>i>|) water and Miiidutli, |uM'|M'ii(lil(>, an, eircnitoiis path, it patli it can lie <-allcd, leading I'rom the lissiire in which '' the liench '' ends. VVhihi th(^ hei;;ht of I"'nnk Island is pnt d<»wn on tlu^ chart it HI feet, it certainly looks to be much hi^^her, whether Heen trom the deck of a vessel or viewed from the eastern iilnlfs. The eidire east«'rn end of the island is very jnec'lpitons, as is also the Houthwestern extremity, but on tlu^ northwest and alonj; a lesst-r portion of the southern side the rock slopes gradually into the sea, and it was here that the Cheat Aidv scrand)le«l thron^ih tlu* breukerM to meet its fate. The jjjreatest h«nj;th of the island from eastnortlieast to west-south- west is about half a mile, its breadth a ijuarter, these s bein^ Het down in the sailin<;' diicctions as SOO and H>0 yards. Lyinji' nispcMttively (KM) and 1,L'00 yards otf tlu^ western point sire two Hmall, rouiwled islets, so low that they must be completely washed over in lonj^h weather, and conse(piently untenable as breediii;,' places. Two faults, deepened by time into shallow valleys, tlivide the islainl into three ridy:es runninji' nearly east and west. The northern aiul conti'al of these an^ bare rock, for the most part smoothed and rounded by rain and ice, althouj^h here and there the decomposition of the fehl- s|>ar has formed curious, overhanyinj;' ledges, especially toward the eastern end. In these depressions are numerous pools of brackish water, the more extensive — intersperseil with |)atches that may \h diyiiilled by the name of marsh — lying alon^ the linc^ of the southernmost fault, which ternunates in a small, natural amphitheater, tloored with pebbles, Growin pl.iiit.s iimir- '\h\wa\ l»,v th('«l«M-uiii|H)Sf4l hodii's aiiul MU)\vly ih'coiiipdsiii^ bones of tlie hni^ «>xtint*l l>iril. It wonhl Mcnn thiit tin* Ank lnhiil»it«Ml incry iu'HHil»h' toot of ^jronn*!, th«' iniiltility ol tlii> liiid to ll\ irstrictiii;; it of iiccrssitx to such |>ot'tions of tliti island as i'oiihl he K'iichnl aftrr ii landii:;; li:iti Itccn 4>n('<-t('n<'e of bones, it does not seem that tln^ Ank 4>ver passed lu'vond the sonthernmust line of fanit, or even reached th«^ eastern |>art of tlu^ island. Ilen^ tln^ Ank br(>d in peace! lor a^es, nndistnrbed by imiii t nntil that fatefid day in .Inne, l."»;M, when (!artier's crews iinmjjn rated the 8lan};hter that termimited only with the existence of the (In'at Aidi. ileie to day the bones of myriads of (ia;'ufo\vl lie buried in the shallow soil formed above their molder«Ml bodie.«, and here, in this vast Ah-iiu^ cemetery, are thickly st-attered slabs of weathered j;ranite, like so many crnniMin;; tond»stones nmrkin^; the resting; phuies of thotleparted Anks. It in rather carious that these blo(dvHof'st(nH^ shonld Ixi fonml on this part of the island, Jnst where they wonid be most needed by nuin, bnt for some reason the rot k seems to w«>ather into slabs more on the southern rise than elsewlicre. it is also an interestinj;" coiiu'idonce, to siiiy the least, that l{«d)ert Ilore ami another of the old navi«;ators speak of Penjjnin Islaml as " Viuy full of rocks and stones," althon^di their ac(u)nnts seem to refer to Capt! la Ilnne, IVnjfuin Islands, rather than to Fniik Island. Tho followiiiif i»liiiit8 liavt! l>oiMi recorded from Funk iHland. • I'oa (iniiiia L. L'oimnon in wot |tlii('CH. • (llin'cria viurithna Wiilil. ('oiiimoii in \V*'t llllK't'H. • Senecia vulijarit L. Coiiiiuoii iu wet plilCOH. t I'lantatjo maritima. Aloii^ pouda. • lianutKulKH hjipirhorcuii Rotlb. • Stellaria media. * Cocliliaria offiri)inHn T.. Among pobliloH at lioiid of Indian (inluli. t CoelileiiriafiinKtrdlii. ' Cii}opUurnm iinnUiil Led. t tlaloHclaa Hniticiiiii. t liumex. *Clifiio})odUnii albiiin t * liynum kuinrlloiii ; h|). iiov. Tiiose preceded l»y an aHterisk (*) were collected by Mr. William Palmer, aud those preceded by the dagger (t) were noted by ProfcHHor Milne. It is a little eurions that but a Hinjjlo specicH was observed by Itoth natnralistH, the more that Professor Milne was on the islaml but half an honr and Mr. Pahner i)art8 of two days. t A paddle aud remains of canoes are said to have been found here, as well as stone arrow heads, and this would indicate visits from tiie Indians. Profeswor Milne con- siders this doubtful, owing to tho imlil't'erentseagoing(|ualitiesof tin; IJeothuc canoes. There seems, too, no reason why they should incur the risk of visiting this island so far at sea when plenty of sea fowl could be obtained nearer home. Still, if the renmius actually were fouaii, they could scarcely have «oiue here by accideut. v.\l 008 REPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. On the summit of the island, and not far from ilio center, are the ruins of a stone hut, built of tlie al)nnd;iiit slabs, and visible for a con- 8i(UM'able distance. This hut is said by Professor Milne to have been the residen(!e of the i)arty who resided on the island for a short time in 18(i;5 for the piirjjose of i)rocnring guano. But according- to another ac- count it was built for the accommodation of a sealing crew who, some years ago, was placicd on the island to pass the winter and obtain the first chance at the seals vho come down on the floe-ice in the spring. The entire crew, with the exception of the cook, were lost while out sealing, an«l the sole survivor rescued in an almost insane condition. The strongest point in fiivor of the more poetic version is found in the fact that the guano party were on the island but a few days in sum- mer, and they would s(!arcely have taken the trouble to build so sub- stantial a dwelling. Jn 18G3* Mr. Thomas N. Molloy, now United States consul at St. John's, fitted out the expedition to seek for guano at Funk Island, Cap- tains Burke and Glyndon being at the head of the enterprise. They landed on the island, taking with them a large skifi", while their schooner returned to the harbor of Seldom Come By, Fogo Island. In all 35 tons of guano were secured, four laborers obtaining 20 tons in Un days. Five tons were sold n* unction in St. John's for $19 per ton and the remainder consigned to u Boston house, by whom it was in turn sent to Baltimore and Washington. Just where the guano came from itis difficult to say, for there is now no trace of it 'M1 Funk Island, except in the shape of a strong smell on the bare rocks of the eastern part, resorted to by Murres and Kazorbills. The climate is not favorable to the formation of guano deposits, such as are found in dry tropical regions, and on Funk Island the rain must long age have washed out the soluble constituents of the old " soil " of that part of the island formerly inhabited bj^ the Great Auk. The soil consists of two distinct layers, the lower portion, formed during the occupancy of the Auk, being from 3 inches to 1 foot in thick- ness and consisting largely of fragments of egg shells, although next to bed rock are numerous angular pebbles of various sizes. The black dust from the decayed, overlying vegetation and abundant patches of charcoal has filtered into the lower stratum, but so numerous are the fragments of egg-shells that the deposit has a yellowish gray color. The upper layer of soil, also from 3 inches to 1 foot thick, has formed since the extermination of the Auk, principally by the growth and decay of vegetation nourished by their bodies. In fact it is possible, from the character of the plant growth above, to tell something of the probable abundance of Auk remains below; thickness of the one indicating corresponding plenty of the other. * Mr. Molloy gave the date as 1866, but as the " luutumies " were certainly obtaiued in 1863, this may have beeu a slip of the pen. EXPEDITION TO FUNK ISLAND. 509 So little could be ascertained regarding tlie soil of Funk Island, that we came provided even with a pickaxe, while we were told that we might be compelled to dig through several feet of turf in order to reach the bones of the Garefowl. The most thoroughly usetul tools proved to be two clam hoes, with which rapid progress could be made through the matted roots and scanty soil. Peter Stuvitz, who visited Funk Island in 1844, wrote that — On the southwestern side a little vegetation is foixnd and snllicient soil to support an extremely scanty flora; but it is there that I discovered remains of bones in great number, and it|is probable that the thin layer of vegetable mould which is met with- in that locality is duo to the destruction of the animals to which they belonged. The skeletons lie in a compact mass in the earth, and according to the depth at which they are found one can estimate the time necessary for the formation of the layer of mold above them. Moreover, this layer of earth was usually very thin, and in places the bones wore not covered at all. During the last forty or fifty years the thickness of the layer of earth formed is consequently not appreciable, for a slaughter of these birds sufficiently extensive for the accumulation of such heaps of bones must antedate that epoch. On this side are found the stone inclosures called pounds, in which the hunters coii cealed themselves to slay the birds.* This description is very accurate and is as true to-day as when it wa written, except that the layer of soil is thicker, and vegetation mor abundant. Two of the pounds near the western landing place, whosi position is indicated on the accompanying map, still remain untouched and although the stones lie prostrate, not one is wanting. Remains o other pounds, more or less overgrown by weeds, are to be seen here aiu there along the central ridge of the island, and hard by the ruins of tin hut recently mentioned are the traces of two other small structures partlj hidden by the vegetation. (Joncerning these there seems to be no tradition, but it is not at al improbable that they were the dwellings of the old-time destroyers o the Auk, for there is no reason why parties should not have passed tin entire breeding season on the island in order to prosecute their wori without interruption, and Oartwright says that this was done. By placing the huts along the crest of the island they would be frei from surface drainage during rains, while the "compounds" would nat urally be located near the huts for convenience, and away from tbi water to avoid unnecessary fright to the landing birds. The most abundant deposits of bones are found in the vicinity of tb ruined hut, partially in the upper stratum of soil, where the bones ol thousands of birds are mixed together in inextricable confusion. In the upper layer of soil, too, lie the patches of charcoal and charreri fragments of bones, showing where the kettles once swung in which: the birds were parboiled to render plucking them an easy operation. Tradition says that the bodies of the Great Auks were so fat that I * This is undoubtedly an error, for all other accounts agree in stating that the pounds were used for couliuing the birds until they should be needed. 510 RKPOHT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1HH8. they could be used for fuel, and while this seems? a little doubtfal it may yet be true, or partially so. It certainly would have been a great convenience to the Auk exter minators to be thus relieved of the difficulty of bringing tire-wood from the mainland, more than 30 miles distant. Close by the two best preserved pounds we upturned the sod over a circle 10 or 12 feet in diameter, beneath which was a compact hiyer of charcoal and bones, while not far away another excavation told as plainly as words that here was one of the last abiding places of ihe Auk. Barely 2 inches of turf covered the shallow soil in which lay embedded a few fresh-looking bones of the Great Auk, mixed with others of its lesser relative, the Murre. Evidently at the time of tiiis deposit the Great Auk was on the wane and its numbers were no longer sufficient to meet the demands of the feather hunt'Ts, who promptly supplied the deticiency with those of the bird most easily secured. The Great Auk, by the way, is not the only bird which has been ex- tirpated on Funk Island, for the Gannet lives in name ah)ne, although Cartier found it abundant, and men still living remember to liave seen the bird. Thanks to the efforts of the eggers, the numbers of birds of all species, with the possible exception of the Puffins, have been greatly lessened during the past twenty-five years. Stuvitz in 1844 called Funk Island " a mountain of birds," and was above all surprised at the abundance of the Arctic and Common Tern, while in 1874 Professor Milne wrote that " although it was the 20th of July, we were almost everywhere in danger of placing our feet upon eggs." We found the Arctic Terns still very numerous, and the shrill cries of the large flock that circled round our heads were so loud and in- cessant as to be positively annoying. Their young, and eggs in an advanced stage of incubation were scat- tered here nnd tliere from one end of the island to the other, but not a single specimen of the Common Tern was noticed. The number of Murresand Razor-bills was comparatively insignificant, and the few eggs of these species that were seen were placed in the most secluded spots attainable. The Kazor-bill in particular seems to be learning wisdom by bitter ex- perience, and, as we first noticed at the Bird Rocks, hides its egg when- ever practicable in some nook or cranny, or under an overhanging ledge whore it will be safe from all intruders. The Puffins, however, who find security in their burrows, exist in great numbers, and to them, at least, the extermination of the Great Auk has proved a decided advantage by providing soil in which to dig their habitations. The entran(;e to each burrow is surrounded by small collections of Great Auk bones which these little resurrectionists have brought to of to EXPEDITION ro FUNK ISLAND. 511 light, and the intenningled condition of the buried remains is in !io small degree due to the labors of the busy Putlins. During the day, perching upon the ruins of the hut, or standing on the blocks of granite, they watched our labors with mingled interest and suspicion, while towards sunset, returning from distant fishing ex- ])editions they gathered along the blutfs in battalions, Hanked by com- panies of Murres and Razor-bills. The PufQus were the first to assure us of the success of the expedition, for the many specimens of the unmistakable humerus of the Great Auk contained in their little osteological collections were certain evidence of the quantities of bones that lay beneath the soil. The modus oper- andi in digging was to skim oft" the superficial layer of turf and with a few strokes of the hoe bring up some samples of bones. If, on inspec- tion, the quality of the bones was found to be good, careful excavation with hoe and lingers followed, but if, as often happened, the exhumed bones were brown and weatherworn, another spot was tried at once. Quantity was a secondary consideration, for where the remains were most abundant they were usually in a poor state of preservation, the more scattered specimens being the best. On the northerly slope a stroke of the h(,e made anywhere would bring to light at least a score of bones, but on the west, and more espe- cially on the south, the deposits rapidly thinned out, although no spot was tried where Auk bones were not found, and it is no exaggeration to say that millions of Garefowl gave up their lives on these few acres of barren rock. Professor Milne seems to have had some doubt of all the bones he discovered being those of the Great Auk, for he remarks : " at nearly every trial bones were found, but there was nothing that could be identified s ever having belonged to the bird for which I searched." For the benefit of future visitors to Fuidi Island it may be said that bones, other than those of the Great Auk, are of very rare occurrence, so much so that two barrels of earth and bones, gathered haphazard, con- tained less than a handful belonging to any other bird. Contrary to what might be supposed the more recent bones are in the worst state of preservation, for owing to their protection from the sun and the fact that they are kept damp for the greater part of the time, those found in the lower stratum ot soil are in much better condition than those nearer the surface. The majority of the bones are weatherworn, others are stained but perfect, while now and then a bone may be found looking as fresh and white as if the bird to which it belonged had been killed but a year or so ago. Some of the best preserved bones lay at the entrance of Puffin bur- rows and had evidently been brought to light in the course of their spring house-cleaning, but it proved a futile task to follow the course of the hole iu the hope of finding others equally good. U I' 512 KEPOKT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. The skull usually breaks across at the articulation of the nasals with the froutals and mauy a time did we work carefully around the point of some projecting beak only to find that the back of the skull was en- tirely lacking. The sternum and pelvis are very rarely found in good condition, the thinness of these bones, and their immediate contact with the viscera having caused their rapid decay so thiit although we disinterred hundreds we suceeded in obtaining but a single perfect specimen of each. It would seem that these alcine remains are rapidly deteriorating, although so few visits have been made to Funk Island with the view of procuring bones that it is diflicult to make comparisons, while at the same time the element ot luck must, to a large extent, enter into the finding of buried bones. In 1863 three " mummies," or dried bodies of Great Auks, were se- cured by the party in search of guano, and in 1874 Professor Milne ob- tained in half an hour bones representing fifty individuals, from which four more or less complete skeletons were constructed. In 1887 our party passed portions of two busy days in exhuming thousands of bones, and yet this great number will " make up " not more than a dozen skeletons, and these not absolutely perfect, while no entire specimen was found, although in the hope of coming upon a " mummy " holes were dug in many places quite to the bed rock. Neither did we secure more than a single membranous lining of the egg of the Great Auk, although Professor Milne in less than half an hour found " the inner linings of a few eggs." The mixed condition of the remains has already been alluded to, and so completely are the bones intermingled, that after many endeavors to obtain those of a single individual, the attempt was abandoned in despair, heads and feet, sterna and pelves being intimately associated with one another, and not more than six, or at the most eight, consecu- tive vertebraB being found together. An idea of the great abundance of bones may be gathered from the fact that while many humeri were thrown aside while digging the col- lection was found to contain over fourteen hundred specimens of this bone. Every part of the skeleton was secured, including even the small ethmo turbinals, although in spite of careful search but one or two of the first rib and third phalanx of the wing were found. 'The number of bones from young birds is extremely small, but this all but total lack of them is readily accounted for by the fact that after the merciless slaughter of the Auks had fairly commenced, few, if any, eggs were allowed to hatch. There was a small number of diseased bones present, the result of in- juries, and one of these, a broken and re-united ulna, had apparently been shattered by a shot. Comparatively few of the crania show any evidence of their original owner having met with a violent death, but • • * * I sals with he point 1 was en- iu good ) contact lOugU we B perfect 'iorating, the view lileatthe into the , were se- Milne ob- om which ixhuming up " not ect, while ling upon bed rock. Qg of the m half an id to, and leavers to iloned in issociated , consecu- from the ^ the col- US of this ;he small or two of but this that after w, if any, ult of in- >parently show any eath, but EXPEDITION TO FUNK ISLAND. 513 this is largely due to tiie selection of tlio best specimens that offered ; any that were obviously poor being passed by. Professor Milne lomaiks that " the fact that there remains no evi- dence of cuts or blows leads to the supposition that these birds may have died peacefnlly " l)ut some of the crania do show the marks of cuts and blows, and, moreover, tiiere is plenty of local history or tradition to show exactly how these birds \v(>i'e done to the death. It should also be home in mind that birds seldom die peacefully, for nature rarely accords this boon to iier subjects, and when they do meet their end, they seem to have a habit of making away with their skele tons: it wonld be more accurate to say have their skeletons made away with, for dead birds do not often go to waste, but us" '-y find their way into the stomach of some hungry animal, possil l; of the same race. Dr. Stejneger tells me that during his stay at the Commander Islands many sea birds were washed ashore during or after gales, bnt unless one was on the beach before daylight the bodies were destroyed by foxes. Even in the immense guano deposits of the Chincha Islands, where every circumstance is favorable to the preservation of inhumed speci- mens, bird remains are of comparatively rare occurrence, while in lo- calities where the climate is subject to extremes of heat and cold, rain and sunshine, they go to p'eces rapidly. It was not without regret that we prepared to leave so intciesting a spot as Funk Island, but having successfully accomplished our mission of collecting bones of the Great Auk, no good reason remained for a longer stay when many miles of our i)roposed route yet remained to be traversed. Accordingly we gathered up our various impedimenta, the boat was brought alongside "the bench "for the last time, and laden with the spoils of our two days' labor we returned to the Grmnpus, which hiy at anchor a mile to the eastward of Escape Point. Fortune continued to smile on us, and as the threatening weather of the morning had given way to calm, so now that we were ready to leave a fair breeze sprang up that carried us rapidly toward the mainland. Funk Island grew lower and lower in tiie distance, and as the sun was nearing the western horizon we bade the home of the Great Auk a long farewell. It was the intction to visit, if possible, any localities whose names indicated that the Great Auk might once have been found there, espe- cially Penguin Islands on the south coast, and Penguin Islands near (Jape Freels. A brisk south wester drove us by the former place at a very lively pace, while with the visit to Funk Island still in prospect, it was not deemed advisable to lose any time in waiting for the wind and sea to go down, so this portion of the trip was abandoned. On the eastern coast, however, the weather was more favorable ; so after leaving Funk Island, tlie Grampus ran over to the well-named harbor of Seldom Come By, and the next morning started for Penguin H. Mis. 142, i)t. 2 33 514 REPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. Islands, which lie about .'5 miles from shore ano 10 milos northwest of Cape Frecls. Passiii}^ Peckford Ueef, the S(!li()olmarm, and Scrub Kocks (nature is very liberal with rocks and reefs in this part of the world), the Orampus anchored at noon off two low, j^rassy islets, whose appearance was not at all suggestive of an Alcine breeding place. Nor did careful exami- nation reveal any traces of former habitation by the Great Auk, and if the bird once dwelt here, he left nothing behind to indicate the fact, for not a bone, nor even a speck of eggshell could be found. This is in marked contrast with the condition of affairs at Funk Is- land, where, aside from tlie bones that the upturned sod shows every- where present, the soil itself, thickly sprinkled with crumbled egg shells, bears mute testimony to long years of occupancy by the Great Auk. Still one of these islets may be that certain flat island where Captain Richard Whitbourne tells us men " drave the Penguins on a board into their boats by hundreds at a time," although it must be said that this and similar stories have rather an apochryphal ring to them. Certainly so easy a method of loading a boat w ith Garefowl, as that of putting out a gang plank and driving them aboard like sheep, was not of common occurrence at Funk Island, where the slope of the rock and wash of the sea would render such a thing impossible. Although at the time of our visit it was remarkably calm, yet the boat rose and fell along the cliff 4 or 5 feet at every heave of the swell, while on the sloping rock, even to leeward, the sea came rolling in in a man- ner fit to test the seaworthiness of a Great Auk, to say nothing of a small boat. Whoever may have been the former residents of Penguin Islands, to- day their most numerous inhabitants are field mice (Arvicola riparia), which, if one may judge by the abundance of their burrows, exist in almost incredible numbers, while well worn connecting paths cover the ground in places with a veritable network. A little investigation showed that many of the deserted burrows, possibly some recent ones also, had been taken possession of by breed- ing petrels (Occawo^roma leucorrhoa) which were thus saved the trouble of digging ttieir own nesting places. A few PuflBus (Fratereula aretica) are also found on the island, but they seemed to have been no more successful than ourselves in finding bones, for none lay scattered about the entrance to their holes. Taking into consideration the general character of the islets, the thickness of the turf that covers them, their nearness to shore and the absence of remains of the Great Auk, it seems at least doubtful if the bird ever dwelt here, although the absence of remains is, it must be said, negative evidence of but small value. If the Great Auk once bred in this vicinity, Offer Wadham, 9 miles farther seaward, is much more likely to have been its habitat, but it may be questioned if the bird was found there in historic times. tf % EXPEDITION TO FUNK ISLAND. 516 There can be littU^ doubt tlisit tlie extent of tlie breeding range of the Great Auk has been as a rule much overestimated, and the writer's own bebef is that, like the (lamiet, the (Jarefowl was eontined to a very few h)calities. Tiiis is known to have been the case in Europe, and, whiU^ the fact is more ilitlicuH to i)rove in regard to America, it must be borne in mind that all 2 • • o m o* 154 ijj 156 157 o* 156 • S« 159 o* 160 • • • o o o 161 162 • 163 164 165 o • Diagram sbowtng the lengtli and breadth of sixteen skulls of the Great Auk. The vertical colnrans give the length, the hurizuutal coluuius the breadth, iu luillimeters. Black dots indicate parietal breadth; circles indicate frontal breadth. The table giving the relative measurements of crania shows that, as might have been expected, the length is subject to greater positive va- riation than either the frontal or parietal breadth, although the com- parative variation of these parts is greater than the linear variation. The table shows very clearly too that the frontal and parietal width of the greater number of crania is the bame — IS""'", and that the frontal width is slightly in excess of the parietal. The amount of linear variation is 15'"% the frontal T"", and the pari- etal 8"»n». t^ 518 REPORT OP NATIONAL MIT8EITM, lft88. / ->• Tlio vcrtcbni' (lilV«'r roiisnh'iiiltl.v amoii;; ili»'m.s«'lv«^M in size, hut for reasons iilrt'iuly j-ivon it is iinpossiWlc lodt'li'iiiiiiM' the iinioiMit of varia- tion in the vertebral column falvcn in itw entirety. The odontoid notch of tlie atlas presents ^reat diversity of shape, ap- pearing in two cases as a mere slit, while in three out of fifteen speci- UKMiH ossification has l>rid;,^ed over the notch and (;onveited it into a foramen so that the atlas presents very much the api>earance of having belonged to one of the higher altrices. The shape and si/e of the neural cranal varies, but it is always wider than high. The centrum of the axis is subject to much variation in si/.e and shape, anot. The sixth to ninth cervicals, in- clusive, have many features in common and these resenddances render it extremely difticult to distinguish them from one another when, as in the present instance, a large mnnber are mixed together, since, for ex- PMiple, the sixth vertebra o " large bird is almost the exact <;ounterpart of the seventii of a smaller specimen. In fa<;i , but for Professor Owen's memoir on the Great Auk, the " making uj)" of skeletons would have been extremely diiiicult owing to the amount of individual variation. The tenth cervical, however, was shown by Professor Owen's paper to have a very characteristic shape, being distinguished by a broad ijypapophysis directed forward, and this furnished one point of depart- ure for the arrangement of the vertebral column. In the dorsal region there are ditterences in the development of the hypapophyses, but these seem as nught be supposed, to be correlated with ditterences in the size and strength of individuals. The length, strength, and curvature of dorsal and steriuil ribs is of course variable, and the number of epipleural appendages seems to have been by no means constant. It may be said that comparatively few epipleurals could be found, as these little bones are so thin that they readily decompose. The skeleton described by Professor Owen seenis to have been that of a very old bird, and epipleurals were pr-^sent on the second pair of cervical ribs, this, in the light of the material in hand, being of ex- tremely rare occurrence. A most interesting and instructive variation is of frequent occurrence in the " sacrum " which is composed of fourteen vertebne, the first bear- ing the eighth, and ordinarily the last, pair of ribs. But it often hap- pens that the second sacral also shows articulations, indicating the presence of a ninth pair of ribs, and it is interesting to note that when this extra pair of ribs is present there is usually fouiul to be a rudimen- tary pair of parapophyses developed on the first true sacral, as if the rib creating force had been felt still further down the line of vertebra?. Twenty-three out of one hundred and forty-four sacra had an extra, 1 EXPEIilTION TO FUNK ISLAND. 519 as; ap- the len en the rji\ ;ra, ninth, pair of ribs, ami one had an extra rib on one nide only. In one cuHe the ninth pair of ribs Wiisconiplctely fiLsed with the 8as tli.siilt (il'tlic cxiiitiitiiitioii of Miiit.v-ono Htcniii, ultliuii^h it nIioiiIiI Im> siiiil tliiit in Moiiict-iiHCH one (rostal iMitdci was wholly or piutiiili.y larkiiii;. Still as only our (!as»« oimmitn anion;? tluMMitii'ti Htmim in wlilcli llii> nnrnlH>rof rll»H uttuclaid to eacli Hide ViiritMl, tlio t'lict istronipaiativcly nniinpoitant. HtiMiia Willi nIx piiirN of artinilar ftuiotH 1 Hti'i'iiu witli Novell iniii'H of allien la i- laiotN '2\\ HltU'iia witii ei^lit (taii'M of articular lacotH ti Hteriitt with Nuveii factttH on oiio bIiIi^ and i^'i^Ui on tlio otiior 1 Total niiinlMtrof Htcriia oxaiiiinoil Ml Of tlie Ht«'rna with ci^'ht pairn oCaiticnlar lainits two bad evidiMitly borno ii lia-nnipopliysis attaciicd to tlu^ hiummmI, posterior (r(Mvi(!al rib. Wliilc tInM!oracoi(l pn'sciits ('((nsich'rahli' variety in the amount ofdo- vclopnient of tluu'pintraroid as well as in the sliapt^ and extent of tiio Hternal articular snrfa(;e, it is always nnniistakaliie in its ^leneral .75 """. This bone, perha|)S the most chara<^teristi(r of the, entire skeh^ton, seems to vary less in its proportion^ than any of the other long bonew, not presenting such perceptible dillerences in diameter as arc found in either the femur or tibia. It is a little singular that the greatest amount of linear variation- taking into consideration the length of the bone — sliouhl be found in the femur, while it also shows very consitlerable dillerences of proportion, 8ome femora being much more slen iiltlxHi^li niituriill.v tli«> ivHiilts itn* hy no inciiiiH su siitisliU'tory :ih i'ciU'li pair of ItoiiOH (;)iin«^ Iroiii our iiidivliliial. TIh^ honcM iiM'iiMiinMl wtMotukuii iit lmpliJizjinl,cjmi \mng takononly to Nt^Icct Mu<;li lis wcrt^ in };oo vertical i'oluinns sIm»w the nt.njher of in- n from either side. In all rases the perp<'ndienlar eolnmii indi(;ateH niunher of individ- uals, the horiisontal column length in millinieteiH. 96 97 98 90 100 lot /as AH iW as /rjf) K/7 /W m) I/O fU //L' m JJ4 / *^. ^ Lo ^ 2 \ A 3 V 1 \ If ^/ \ if J \ \% : 6 V A \ 7 1 ^ i / s\ '°'\ \ 8 \» > i c \ 1 1 9 \ / 1 1 ! |i 10 i\ / U i\ \ f 12 1 ' 1 / 13 \ 1 • / 14 A 1 1 1 IS I '] j^^ • 1 • « 1 IS b.- 1 < \ .i 1/ 17 * 1 \ / 18 ;f \ J 19 \J V. J Diui^raiu showiu); ttiu lucaHurt'iiioiitM of thruo hundred liiiinuii of tliu Uruat Auk, aud thu rvlatiou • betwt^uii tboau ot tbo right uuU left side. )po- tion des, 522 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. •') i I 64 &5 m 67 6(9 60 70 7/ 7L' 73 7J 7J 76 77 78 79 / N ^ • a \ 1 A fh \ < ■> 3 \ • 1 ^ ti N^ 4 \ u 1 ' 1 1 1 1 J V' \ P 6 b 1 1 7 1 6 1 1 / 9 1 1 r JO 1 A A 7 n 1 1 1 V 1/ 12 li l« A 13 11 \\ /l 14 1 [j 1 1 15 1 \L 1 1 « \ \ V; 16 17 ¥! 'o' < - b Diagram sbowiug the measureniciitu of two liundri'd femora of the Great Ank, and the relations be tween those of the right and left Hideti, 122 I2S 12^ US 126 127 128 129 13 131 132 m m I3S m 137 I3S m /-^^ /♦/ /«p /«^ / *■- \ «. * ,' '*N X >. 2 \ « / /■■■ % o 3 V >s. /^ / $ 1 / I'' 4 Vx V ,< -.o- ^ r 1 V 5 V V \) ./>.. /> ,Or' H ^ / 6 H \ r \ J vo" 7 V t \ / a ! / 1 ' V 9 v 10 \\ II 12 1 \. 13 J • 1 1 /♦ J \ IS \ 1 1 1/ 1 IC V Piagraiu showiug tUo moasurcmouta of two hundred tibio) of the Qroat Auk, aud the relatioua bo- tweeu those of the right aud left sides. EXPEDITION TO Fl NK ISLAND. 523 It is singular that Mm closest c()ircs|)()n(ltMU!e between the curves lep- resenting right and left sides should be exhibited by tiie diagrams giv- ing the nieasureinents of the femur, the most variable bone — while the least harmony is found among the humeri, bones which differ least among themselves. This discrepancy is caused by an unusually large number of left hu- meri having a length of 110""", but on tho whole the curves follow one another very closely, the maximum point being reached with great una- nimity, and the sizes of the bones decreasing or increasing quite regu- larly from that. From the examination of this large amount of material it would seem that considerable variation may exist in the size of individuals, that the number of ribs may be slightly inconstant and that a certain amount of variation may be found in the development of the various processes of the vertebrre. On the other hand the skull, sternum, and pelvis afford very substantial comparative characters. In regard to the question of size, it can be said that there is nothing, as in the case of Diilinc remains, to indicate sexual difference in this particular, for between the largest and the smallest bones may be found all intermediate grades. This, however, is what might have been expected, for the Alcidce present but slight sexual variations in size, while Professor Newton has pointed out a good reason for the slight amount of proportional variation in the fact that the bones represent individuals from the same epoch «ud locality, and not those separated from one another by long intervals of time or space. Measurements, in jnillimetera, of Crania of the Great Auk, Greatest length between perpendicuiiirH Qreateat parietal breadth above arlicu'a- lation nt' quadrate Greatest post frontal breadth Height from basi-sphenoid to frontal Height of culmen immediately in fron^ of nasal opening Length from posterior end of occipital ridge to root of intermaxillary Length of mandible Length of mandibular symphysis , . . Cam bridge, 18220. 18117. 18120. 18231. 18232. 165 150 152 152 158 155 50 48 45 48 48 48 49 51 49 51 48 48 32 32 33 32 32 33 25 22 22 22 23 23 62 61 58 61 58 61 142 27 137 24 135 26 144 23 139 23 142 25 18233. 162 48 48 33 23 61 139 23 V ^ V hi i 524 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. Measnrvmeuls, in milUmvtiis, of Crania of the Great .Ink — ('(tnt.iimrd. Greatest longtli botwooii i)or|H'H(U''ular8. . GreatoHt ^)areitai lireadtli abovo artii'.ula- latioii ()» ()ua(Laio Greatest post frontal bicaiUli Hi)!bo3t from basi-spheiioid to frontal Ileiglit of ciiliiien ininicdiately in front of nasal opening Lengtb from ])oaterior end of occipital ridge to root of intermaxillary Length of mandible Length of mandibular symphysis 150 B. I C. 43 48 48 51 30 y3 23 25 54 63 135 139 23 24 IfiU ! 160 48 SI 34 26 61 144 25 D. 158 47 48 33 22 62 142 23 E. F. ' G. H. 160 159 48 51 33 23 61 141 23 45 45 32 00 140 23 153 47 48 23 01 145 23 155 48 48 33 22 60 157 48 61 32 24 Measurementa, in mWimeters, of Sterna of (heat Auk. Length from manubrium to xiphoid extremity Width across first pair of costal articulations Width across seventh pair of coHal articulations Xiphoid border, entire, u.itched, or perforate Least width Greatest posterior width Depth from manubrium to keel A. B. c. 211 193 190 69 62 00 48 47 49 1 perforation 2nct'jhes Entire. 45 43 40 1 58 50 54 Broken 54 58 u. 204 04 45 tion» 43 53 206 64 Cntiie, 58 18117. 196 64 45 1 notch. 43 58 56 C. — List of Books and Papers Eelating to the Great Auk Although it is believed that no paper of importance has been omitted from this list, it is by uo means a complete bibliography of the literature pertaining to the Great Auk. The numerous incomplete lists of specimens have been designedly left out, as well as the republications of many articles and some short notes that contributed nothing to the subject. Some short notes are cited from their bearing on particular pointfi in the history of the Great Auk, and the earlier allusions to the Garefowl in America are included, owing to the general interest attached to them. I am greatly indebted to Mr. Stejneger for assistance in preparing this portion of the paper, and have drawn upon the bibliography of Dr. Cones and from the monograph of Mr. Grieve, which contains a host of valuable references to the earlier notices of the Great Auk. The edition of Hakluyt cited is that of 1600. 1534. Cartier, Jaqiies. The first relation of Jaqiies Carthier of S. Malo, of the new land called New France, new!;; '.iscovered v> the year of our Lord 1534. 22. 1672. Hakluyt, pp. 143-101. Records on page 149, pafHsing Fiuk Island, and mentions the Great Auk and the use of the salted biids by the Frotich iishcrmflii. Parmenius, Steven. Letter to Richard Hakluyt coucorning the voyaj^e of Sir Humphrey Gilbert. Hakluyt, pp. 162-163. Parmenius was among those lost with Gilbert on the Delight. He v; rites (p. 162), that oti the 1st of August they came to "an island which your men call Penguin, because of the multitude of birdes of the same nan2G.'' Curiously enough he states that they saw 'lo birds. Fisher, Richard, The voyage of the ship called the Marigold of M. Hill of Redrife unto Cape Briton and beyond to the latitude of 44 d(grees and an half; 1593. Written by Richard Fisher, Master Hilles man, of Redrife. Hakluyt, i>p. 191-193. Speaks (p. 192) of the Pongwyns as seen at Cape Briton. Wliitbourne, Richard. A discourse and discovery of Newfoundland, etc . written by Captain Richard Wliitbourne, of Exmouth, in the county of Devon » » » Imprinted at London by Felix Kinston, 1622. .Tosselyn, J(dni. New England's rarities discovered in birds, beasts, fishes, serpents, and plants of that country, etc. By John Josselyn, gent. Loudon, 1(572. Mentions " The wobble, an ill-favored fowl, having uo long feathers in their pinions, which is the reason why they cannot fly." 526 REPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. f 1785. Cartwright, George. Journal of Transactions and Events during a residence of nearly sixteen years on tlie Coast of Lal)rador. Vol. i:i, page 5'). "The birds which the people bring from thonco (Funk Isl- and) they salt and eat in lien of salted pork." * * * The poor inhabitants of Fogo Island make voyages there to load with birds and eggs. When the water is smooth they make their shallop fast to the shore, lay their gang- hoards from the gunwale of the boat to the rocks, and then drive as many penguins on board as she will hold, for the wings of these birds being re- markably short they cannot Hy. But it has been customary of late years for several crew>i of men to live all summer on that island, for the sole pur- pose of killing birds for their feathers ; the destruction which they have made is incredible. If a stop is not soon put to that practice, the whole breed will be diminished to almost nothing, i>articularly the penguins, for this is now the only island they have left to breed upon." This long quotation is given for the many interesting points it contains. 1822. Faber. Prodromus der isKindischen Ornithologio, Kopenhagen, 1822. States that when visiting the Westmau Islands in A st, 1821, he was told that it had been twenty years since a Great Auk had been seen there. 1827-'38. Audubon, J. J. The Birds of America ; from original drawings, Lomon, 1827-'38. Plato 341. Ornithological Biography, vol. iv, p. 316. While Audubon never saw the bird alive, his figure is undoubtedly the best published. The Great Auk was a stout, thick-necked bird, built much on the plan of the Razorbill, yet nearly all plates represent it as a sort of cross between a Murre and a Loon, with a smiAl head, slender neck, and unduly obese body. Audubon's fignre was probably made from an English specimen, and his knowledge of the bird's habits and habitat was derived from hears;i_v. 1837. Blyth, E. On the Osteology of the Great Auk (Alca imper.nia) in comparison with that of Sphenisci. om dens tidligere Udbredningskreds. ?any- (^ as many 9 beiiif^ re- late years e sole pur- they have bole breed for this is notation is !22. e wsis told )re. i, Loutou, y the best t much on irt of cross id unduly specimen, n hear.siiy. omparison L.) which he banks, 1861. Naturhi- Jds. Nr. 3-7, ^uk were is quoted reat Auk ] and one )eing the 70. rinted ii I of Ank( ru Arcti(^ 1862. 1803. 1865. 1865. 1865. 1868. 1868. 1869, 1869. 1869, Newton, Alfred. Abstract of Mr. J. WoUey's lit.searchcs in Iceland, respecting the Garo-fowl, or G; ^at Auk (AIca impeunis, Linn). -()9, W7-89. Notes that tho Great Auk has probably been seen but once in Norway. Spe- cial reference to Stuvitz's visit to Funk Island, and description of his speci- mens preserved in Christiania. More or 'ess complete skulls of thirty-eight individuals, and many separate bones. 1885. Grieve, Symington. The Great Auk or Garefowl {Alca tHijjcwHfs Linn), Its His- tory, Archaeology, and Remains, by Symington Grieve, Edinburgh, London ; Thomas C. Jack, 45 Ludgato Hill, Edinlnirgb ; Grange Publishing Works, 1885, XII, pp. 142,58 (Appendix). Four plates, several cuts in the text, and a map showing the distribution of the Great Auk. 1878. 1879. 1883. 1884. 1884, 1884, f rway. h a map. Also 1 very doubtful, referred to the iHtiii, Liiltrador, iistriiiii tuiiNeiun uud it seems to d. 5. I rfisumd of varl- ia) at the Fuuk ISO of the bodies I, pp. 734-735. more important Boston, 1883. seuts the bird ■Alks (J /caini- udlicben Exeai- .p. 89-114. )llowo(l by a de- [lISOUIII. impcnuisLinu. liabetically ar- ibject. Norway. Spe- 011 of bis Hjieci- of tbirty-eigbt Liun), Its His- urgb, London ; lisbing Works, n the text, and EXPEDITION TO FUNK ISLAND. 529 I 1885. Grieve, Symington — Continued. A most important contribution t the history of the Garefowl, containing a very full account of what is known concerning its habits, habitat, and his- tory. A list is given of all known specii.iens, skins, skeletons, and eggs, and there are a very largo number of references to the literature of the sub- ject. 1886. S [tejneger], L. Grieve on the Great Auk or Garefowl. jt 18»8, pp. 4.56-464. A description of Funk Island, the visit of the Grampus party, and their col- lections. 1888. Grieve, Symington. Recent notes on the Great Auk or Garefowl (Alca impennia Linn.). <^Tran8actious of the Edinburgh Field Naturalists and Microscopical Society. The presidential address of the twentieth session of the society. Contains the most recent information in regard to the Great Auk, with many references to the work aiul cclloctions of the Grampus expedition. Changes in the disposition of Auk remains made since the publication of the writer's monograph on the Great Auk are recorded and a few slight errors therein contained are corrected. H. Mis. 142, pt. 2 34 t\ I ,^; ■ EXPLANATION OF PLATE LXXII. The Great Auk. ABOUT ONE-QUARTER NATURAL SIZE. From the specimen in the U S. National Museunn, No. 57338 Willu'lin Schlutor, of Ilallc. ricrinany, from whom tliis Auk wnn jirocm-pil. nives its history as follows: It was obtained by Mr. Halmiii, of IlamhurK. from Iceland; by him sold to a merchant of Hamburg, who sold it to Mr, (loetz, of Dresden, who in turn parted with it to Mr. Sehluter. In the U. S. National Museum catalogue of birds it is recorded as