720 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889 



was less than a handful belonging to any other species than the Great 

 Auk. In one spot, indeed, we did come upon a small number of bones 

 of the Murre mixed with a few of the Great Auk, the inference being, 

 from the thinness of the deposits and fresh look of the bones, that they 

 represented a comparatively recent date, when the Auks were becom- 

 ing scarce and other birds were being killed to supply the deficiency. 



An occasional fragment of egg-lining was met with, and one nearly 

 perfect, but we came upon no trace of any complete body of an Auk, 

 two or three of which were secured by the guano-seekers in L863. The 

 large extent of ground covered by the remains prevented as careful an 

 examination as would have, been possible in a more restricted area, 

 although the first desire of our party was to obtain as good a series of 

 bones as was practicable. The most useful digging-implements with 

 which we were provided were clam-hoes, and by peeling off the sod 

 here and there with one of these, an idea was obtained as to the general 

 disposition of remains in various parts of the island. 



On the northerly slope the Puffins had pretty well explored the 

 ground, and around their numerous burrows lay little collections of 

 bones, among them an occasional bone in a most excellent state of pres- 

 ervation, although the larger part were badly weathered. These scat- 

 tered bones were a most welcome sight to us as we passed from the bare 

 rock to the turf-clad portion of the island, for the many unmistakable 

 humeri of the Great Auk were an assurance that our search was not 

 likely to prove a failure. 



On the evening of the 22d we returned to the Grampus, as the weather 

 promised to be fair on the morrow, and early on the morning of the 23d 

 again lauded and proceeded with the work of collecting, snatching a 

 little time from our labor to make a hurried circuit of the island. Had 

 the enterprise been a comuiercml one, we might have remaiued much 

 longer, but as the main zoological object of the voyage had been se- 

 cured in the shape of a fine collection of Auk bones, and as much 

 remained to be done in connection with fishery researches, we left late 

 on the afternoon of July 23 for Seldom-Coine-By, Fogo Island. 



About 16 miles to the westward of Cape Freels the chart shows two 

 small dots bearing the legend " Penguin Islands," and although the 

 main object of the voyage, so far as remains of the Great Auk were 

 concerned, had been successfully accomplished, it was none the less 

 desirable to add if possible to the existing store of information in re- 

 gard to that extinct bird. These islands are not far from Seldom-Come- 

 By, and as the wind was fair, the Grampus accordingly ran over to them 

 on the morning of July 24. The appearance of the islets was not en- 

 couraging, as they were low, Hat, thickly covered with grass, and by no 

 means suggestive of suitable breeding places for the Great Auk, which 

 seems to have preferred, or rather been restricted to, bare, isolated 

 rocks at some distance from any habitable spot. The turf proved to 

 be extremely thick and tough, indicating long-continued growth of veg- 



