EXPLORATIONS IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR. 727 



portions of the skeleton, like the'brea'st-bone and pelvis, very rarely be- 

 ing found in a good state of preservation. Still it may be said that 

 the collection made by the Grampus party equals, or exceeds, the com- 

 bined sum of all other Great Auk remains preserved in museums, for 

 besides the large number of individual bones, about ten complete, or 

 nearly complete, skeletons have been made up, one of which has been 

 presented to the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, Massa- 

 chusetts, and one to the American Museum of Natural History in New 

 York City. 



Next in importance to the bones of the Great Auk were the pair of 

 Welch's ptarmigans, secured by Mr. Palmer, these being the second 

 pair ever taken, and the only birds in summer plumage. The rest of 

 the material needs no special mention, although the numerous eggs, 

 embryos, nestlings, skins, and skeletons form a very valuable addition 

 to the collection of the U. S. National Museum, and their importance is 

 enhanced by the fact that all the ^specimens were carefully prepared. 



It is very evident, upon comparing our own observations with the 

 accounts of previous observers, that the sea-birds have greatly decreased 

 in numbers, even during the last decade. The gauuets have suffered 

 the most; the murres and razorbills next; while the puffins, on the con- 

 trary, may even have increased in numbers, owing to the fact that their 

 burrowing habit makes the task of obtaining their eggs too difficult to 

 be profitable. While regret at the diminishing number of the sea birds 

 is partly a matter of sentiment, and the naturalist in particular can 

 but deplore their loss, there is, however, a practical side to the question, 

 although the relations between fish, birds, and men are so complicated 

 that little can be stated positively in regard to the loss or gain due to 

 the birds. Naturally the sea-fowl do not have the same economic im- 

 portance as in the early days of the Newfoundland fisheries, although 

 they are still used for bait and food, many being killed by the fishermen 

 for this latter purpose, and large quantities of eggs are gathered an- 

 nually. In this manner the birds are of direct value to fishermen, while 

 indirectly they are of much service in pointing out the presence of fish. 



On the English coast the actions of gannets often show the position 

 of schools of herring, while on our own shores they frequently indicate 

 the appearance of schools of mackerel. Gulls and terns, shearwaters 

 and auks feed largely upon capeliu and lant; ami as these small fishes 

 are preyed upon by schools of cod, their presence is frequently an indi- 

 cation that larger fish are not far off; and if the feathered fishermen are 

 compelled to seek their prey at a distance, the chances are that their hu- 

 man competitors will be obliged to do so also. In this connection it 

 may be worth while to note that when at Funk Island the puffins were 

 apparently doing their fishing at some distance from the island, and 

 that two fishing-boats from Fogo tried for cod in the vicinity without 

 success. Thequt'stion of the quantity offish eaten by sea-birds is one, 

 which must also be taken into consideration ; and while at first sight it 



