t899- J Usshkr. — The Great Auk, once an Irish Bird. 3 



you kuidle a fire under it, and this fire is absolutely made of 

 the unfortunate penguins themselves. Their bodies being 

 oily soon produce a flame ; there is no wood on the island, . . 



"This skinning and taking the eggs from the Funks," 

 continues Mr. Thomas "is now prohibited, and they are 

 allowed to take the birds only for bait to catch fish with. 

 But the Funks, being such a distance from laud, such a number 

 of sunken rocks about ; and in every other particular except 

 the birds, so uninviting and desolate, that they are but seldom 

 visited unless by pirates and robbers, to steal the feathers and 

 eggs. 



"About three 3 T ears ago some fellows were detected in this 

 kind of plunder ; they were brought to St. John's and flogged 

 at a cart's tail. But I am told there are quantities of feathers 

 purloined from these islands every year." 



The latter part of this statement shows that the previous 

 account of revolting cruelties described past times, within the 

 writer's recollection. Still it implies that Great Auks were 

 still numerous on the Funk Islands in 1794, a much more 

 recent date than has been supposed. 



Elsewhere, however, this species was not finally exterminated 

 until fifty years later, e.g., on the Iceland coasts. 



Explanation of Pi^atf, i. 



Bones of Great Auk from kitchen-middens on the coast of Co. Waterford. 



Fig. 1. View of posterior surface of left humerus. 

 ,, 2. View of anterior surface of left humerus. 

 ,, 3 and 4. Two views of left coracoid. 

 ,, 5. Side view of right tibia. 

 „ 6 and 7. Two views of right metatarsal. 

 „ 8. Left side view of pelvis, imperfect. 



All natural size. 



Cappagh, Co. Waterford. 



A 2 



