go LOST AND VANISHING BIRDS 



Nature herself hastening Hb doom in volcanic dis- 

 turbances, which in March 1830 caused the principal 

 breeding reef — the Geirfuglasker — to disappear 

 beneath the waves, and compel the surviving birds 

 to take up fresh quarters. Most of them appear 

 to have selected the islet of Eldey — a very un- 

 fortunate choice, for this reef was situated much 

 nearer to the main island, and was far more 

 accessible to man. Here, within a period of 

 fourteen years, every bird was killed, the last pair 

 being captured early in June 1844, and forming 

 the final record of the species in Europe. Coming 

 now to British waters, we find it stated that two 

 centuries ago the Great Auk was a regular summer 

 visitor to St. Kilda, although, as previously stated, 

 we doubt if the bird ever was established there in 

 any numbers, the islets being for the most part 

 very precipitous, and unsuited to its requirements. 

 A bird, however, was caught there — in autumn be 

 it remarked — as recently as 1821 or 1822 ; and we 

 ourselves in 1884 were assured by an old inhabitant 

 of the islands that a Great Auk was stoned to death 

 as an " evil spirit " on Stack-an-Armin about half 

 a century previous, he himself assisting in the 

 massacre ! In 1812, Bullock saw a Great Auk at 

 Papa Westray in the Orkneys, and tried to shoot it 



