EXPLORATIONS IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR. 711 



"half a dozen places, while it yet remains to be shown that in the last 

 century of its existence the bird bred at any other locality than Funk 

 Island. The feather-hunters probably went to Funk Island in the 

 spring and resided there until the sea-birds had finished breeding - , 

 systematically killing all the Great Auks they could ; and this was kept 

 up until, like the Rytina, the Great Auk had been slaughtered out of 

 existence. The extermination took place about 1840, and at that date 

 American ornithology was in its infancy, so that not a single specimen 

 of the Great Auk was preserved out of all the millions that were slain, 

 and there are in existence only two stuffed specimens of the Great Auk 

 from America. Fortunately, the conditions under which the Auks were 

 killed were such as to preserve their skeletons, and the greater part of 

 the bones now preserved in museums are from Funk Island, a source 

 from which others may doubtless be procured. 



At the time the Grampus expedition was planned, little could be 

 ascertained in regard to the exact conditions under which bones of the 

 Great Auk had been found at Funk Island, neither could anything be 

 learned respecting the character of the island, beyond the fact that it 

 was a mere isolated rock. The voyage, as planned, was from Gloucester 

 to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and thence to the east coast of Newfound- 

 land, stopping en route at St. John's and Funk Island. From Funk 

 Island the Grampus was to proceed northwards along the coast of New- 

 foundland, and through the Strait of Belle Isle to Mingau, stopping at 

 those localities where it might seem desirable to gather information, 

 collect specimens, or which stress of weather made it necessary to visit. 

 From Mingau we were to return to Canso and thence home. It was 

 expected that there would be no opportunity for collecting until we 

 reached the vicinity of the Bird Bocks, but on account of bad weather 

 the Grampus lay by for a day at the Magdalen Islands, and a small 

 collection was made of its somewhat scanty avifauna, for although birds 

 are quite abundant there, the number of species is small.* 



Only a single mammal was seen, viz., a small Harbor Seal CPhocavitu- 

 lina), scarcely suggesting the fact that these islands were once the seat 

 of a flourishing Walrus fishery, and that thousands of these huge beasts 

 were formerly taken annually, as well as large numbers of Harp Seals. 



The first reference to walruses in this locality occurs in the account 

 of Carder's first voyage, in 1534, where, in speaking of Brion's Island, 

 he says that "About the said island are very great beastes, as great as 

 oxen, which have two great teeth in their mouths like unto elephant's 

 teeth, and live also in the sea." 



The writer has been unable to positively identify the Brion's Island 

 of Cartier, part of his description applying very well to Bryon Island 

 of to day and part applying equally well to Grindstone Island, the 



* Dr. Louis B. Bishop, whom we met at the Magdaleues, Las published in the "Auk" 

 for July, 1889, a list of sixty-six species observed by him, and notes that he did not 

 fiud several species noticed by Mr. Cory in 18/8. 



