THE MUSEUM. 



327- 



drains for'more than two. centuries, al- 

 though laying but a single egg, and 

 consequently increasing but slowly un- 

 der the most favorable circumstances. 

 Finally some one conceived the idea 

 of killing the Garefowl for their feath- 

 ers, and this sealed its fate. When 

 and where the scheme originated, and 

 how long the slaughter lasted, we 

 know not, for the matter is rather one 

 of general report than of recorded fact, 

 although in this instance circumstantial 

 evidence bears witness to the truth of 

 Cartwright's statement that it was cus- 

 tomary for several crews of men to 

 pass the summer on Funk Island sole- 

 ly to slay the Great Auks for their 

 feathers. That the birds were slain 

 by millions; that their bodies were left 

 to moulder where they were killed; 

 that stone pens were erected; and that 

 for some purpose frequent and long 

 continued fires were built on Funk Is- 

 land is indisputable. This locality has 

 been but thrice visited by naturalists, 

 the last time in the summer of 1887, 

 by a party from the U. S. National 

 Museum, who, by the aid of the U. S. 

 Fish Commission, were enabled to ob- 

 tain much information in regard to 

 this interesting spot, and to make 

 very extensive collections of the re- 

 remains of the Great Auk. Just when 

 the Great Auk ceased to exist in Amer- 

 ica is unknown, for there were few 

 naturalists on this sideof the water when 

 the Garefowl was being done to the 

 death; but the distinction took place 

 not far from 1840, almost coincident- 

 aly with the extermination of the bird 

 in Europe. Few birds have received 

 more attention than has the Great Auk 

 since it became extinct, and it has 

 been the subject of numerous papers, 

 both popular and scientific, while its 



remains bring extravagant prices when- 

 ever chance brings them into the mar- 

 ket. The last skeleton sold brought 

 $600, the last skin $650, while an egg 

 brought $1,250, and then was resold 

 for the round sum of $1,500. — Proc. 

 N . S. Nat. Mil sewn. 



Notes on Hibernating Mammals- 



A very prevalent impression exists 

 that hibernation among mammals i^ 

 so fixed a habit that it may be defined 

 in a few words, that it occurs with all 

 the regularity of sleep, and is as nec- 

 essary to the creatures welfare as food 

 and drink. So far as these hard and 

 fast lines are drawn, so far is our un- 

 derstanding of the subject warped and. 

 imperfect. 



In the ninth edition of the "Ency- 

 clopedia Britanica" hibernation is de- 

 fined as that "peculiar state of torpor 

 in which many animals which inhabit 

 cold and temperate climates pass the 

 winter." Here we have the character- 

 istic feature of the habit clearly ex- 

 pressed; but when we come to consid- 

 er the minor details we do not find 

 that any two animals, however closely 

 allied, hibernate in precisely the same 

 manner, nor do individuals of the 

 same species always hibernate alike. 

 Further, we do not find that it is so 

 common an occurrence as usually sup- 

 posed; and no animal appears to hi- 

 bernate merely because winter has 

 "set in," regardless of the temperature 

 then prevailing. My own studies of 

 animal life in this neighborhood (Cen- 

 tral New Jersey) lead me to conclude, 

 rather, that it is a happy faculty which 

 certain animals possess, but do not 

 willingly exercise. If the prevailing 

 temperature forces them, in self-de- 

 fence; to hibernate, they can; but so 



