ANIMAL.S RECENTLY EXTINCT. 



G41 



on Funk Island, is indisputable. This locality has been but thrice, 

 visited by naturalists, the last time in the summer of L887, by a party 

 from the U. S. National Museum, who, by the aid of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission, were enabled to obtain much information in regard to this 

 interesting spot, and to make very extensive collections of remains of 

 the Great Auk. Just when the Great Auk ceased to exist in America 

 is unknown, for there were few naturalists on this side of the water 

 when the Garefowl was being done to the death ; but the extinction took 

 place not far from 1840, almost coincidently 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 whenever chance brings them into the market. The 

 last skeleton sold brought $000, the last skin $650, while an egg brought 

 $1,250, and then was resold for the round sum of $1,500. 



AUTHORITIES. 



Alfred Newtou. 



Natural History Review, 1865; 



the Garefowl and its Historians. 



pp. 4(1?- 188. 

 Relics of the Great Auk. John Milne. London Field, March 27 ; April 15 and 10, 1875. 

 The Great Auk or Garefowl. Symington Grieve. Edinburgh, 1885. 

 The Expedition to Funk Island, with Observations upon the History and Anatomy 



of the Auk. Frederic A. Lucas. Report U. S. Nat'l Mas. ; 1887'-88 ; pp. 493-529. 



PALLAS' CORMORANT. 

 ( Pit a lacroco rax persp icilla t us.) 



Pallas' Cormorant was the largest of its family, and with rich plumage 

 and crests, presented a striking appearance. Above and below it was 

 of a deep, lustrous green with blue gloss on the neck, and rich purplish 



Mat 5.— The distribution of I'allas' Cormorant. 



on the scapulars. Long, slender, straw colored feathers were inter- 

 spersed through the plumage of the neck, and the shafts of the tail 

 feathers were white. 



H, Miss. 224, pt. 2 II 



