359 



ALCA IMPENNIS. THE GREAT AUK. 



GAKEFOWL. PENGUIN. 



Alca impennis. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. 210. 



Alca impennis. Lath. Ind. Omith. II. 791. 



Great Auk Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Supplt. 



Pingouin brachiptero. Alca impennis, Temm. Man. d'Omith. II. 939. 



Alca impennis. Flem. Brit. Anim. I. 127. 



Great Auk. Alca impennis. Selby, Illustr. Brit. Ornith. II. 433. 



Alca impennis. Jenyns. Brit. Vert. Anim. 261. 



Alca impennis. Bonap. Comp. List, 66. 



Bill much compressed, sulcate ; an oval white spot before 

 each eye. 



This bird has never come under my observation in the 

 living state ; nor have I seen more than two prepared speci- 

 mens — one in the British Museum, the other belonging to 

 Mr. Audubon, and procured by him in London. From this 

 latter I have taken the following description : — 



Adult in Summer. — The body is of a full and compact 

 form ; the neck short and thick ; the head large, oblong, 

 anteriorly narrowed. Bill longer than the head, stout, very 

 high, extremely compressed. Upper mandible with the 

 dorsal line straight at first, then declinato-decurvate to the 

 end, the ridge very narrow, broader at the base ; the sides 

 nearly flat, with a basal marginal ridge, succeeded by a deep 

 narrow gi'oove, then a large flat space, followed by eight 

 oblique curved ridges and grooves, the edges sharp and 

 direct toward the end, the tip decurved, and rather obtuse. 

 Lower mandible with the angle long, the sides for half their 

 length extremely narrow and linear, beyond the angle broad. 



