THE GREAT AUK IN ART. 



57 



of the authors quoted below, Hakluyt 1583, Wormius 1655, and Martin 

 1697, ever saw the great auk alive or in the flesh is an item of more 

 than passing interest. 



Size of the Great Auk. Very large, not much less than a goose Hakluyt, 

 1583. Did not much exceed the bigness of a goose Wormius, 1655. Above the 

 size of a Solan goose Martin, 1697. Size of a goose Brookes, 1771. Three 

 feet to the end of the toes Pennant, 1812. Three feet long, size of a goose but 

 slender Buffon, 1812. Approaches that of a goose Cuvier, 1817. Approaches 

 a goose Willoughby. Length to end of tail, 29 ins., 3H ins. to end of feet 

 Audubon, 1840. Thirty inches to three feet Jardine, 1860. About 3 feet long 

 Dallas, 1867. Size of a goose Seebohm, 18S6. Twenty-seven and a half 

 inches to tail Duchaussoy, 1897. 



The Great Auk of Audubon. 



Bill of the Auk. A long broad bill Martin, 1697. Like a broad cutlass, 

 sides fiat and hollowed with notches Buff on, 1812. Marked with several fur- 

 rows Pennant, 1812. Black, with 8 or 10 grooves, long and broad Cuvier, 

 1817. Black with grooves between transverse ridges white Audubon, 1840. 

 Black with transverse furrows, the grooves white Jardine, 1860. White 

 grooves less conspicuous than in Razorbills Seebohm, 1S86. Bill black with 

 7 or S whitish grooves on upper, 10 or 11 on lower Duchaussoy, 1897. 



Vt'hi te Marks on Head. Large white spot under each eye, red about the 

 eyes Martin, 1697. White oval spot before the eye Linnaeus, 1761. Large 

 Avhite spot between eye and bill Pennant, 1812. Great oval white spot between 

 bill and eye, margin rising like a rim on each side of the head, which is very 

 flat Buffon, 1812. Oval white patch between the eye and bill Cuvier, 1817. 

 Large oblong white patch before each eye Audubon, 1840. In front and around 

 the eyes is a large oval patch of white Jardine, 1860. White oval patch from 

 eye to bill Seebohm, 1S86. In front of eyes oval white spot on side of head 

 from base of bill Duchaussoy, 1897. 



Description of Neck. Short and thick Audubon, 1840. 



Character of Wing. Cannot flie, their wings not able to carry them Hak- 

 luyt, 1583. Its wings short, it flies not at all Martin, 1697. So small as to 



