1 887-88.] Recent Notes on tlie Great Auk. I15 



to Mr Newman, unknown to myself, was inserted on the outer cover 

 of ' The Zoologist.' Some months after I received a letter from Kunz, 

 Leipzig. He informed me he had seen my query respecting Yarrell's 

 egg, and said he had an egg for sale. Would I have it ? He wrote a 

 second letter giving the price, £18 (July 1859). Five letters refer to 

 this transaction. The egg, from its beautiful shape, is the finest 

 known. This egg was purchased from Theodore Schultz in 1857, he 

 then residing at Neuhaldensleben, Saxony (a short description of 

 which appears in ' Cabanis,' January 1860). Schultz purchased it 

 from a person of the same name then residing at Leipzig. He re- 

 ceived it, with six others, from Iceland. No. 2. — This egg is engraved 

 in Biideker's * European Oology.' My first intimation of its whereabouts 

 was from reading a number of ' Cabanis.' I purchased the egg with 

 the bird (said to have laid the egg) in 1861, from the apothecary 

 Mecklenburg, residing at Flensburg, Denmark (now Germany), — the 

 same person who sold Hancock his egg and bird obtained from Iceland, 

 1829. Egg perfect, well marked with blotches. Mecklenburg's son, 

 after his father's death, sent me a catalogue of his eggs and skins for 

 sale, including another skin of the Great Auk, but with, I think, false 

 feet. I don't know what became of this last skin. No 3. — This egg 

 was obtained during my Italian tour in 1861. I was at Verona, 31st 

 May 1861. I met accidentally a Eussian nobleman at the station 

 (Porta Neuva). My acquaintance was renewed at Milan a few days 

 later, on the evening of 2d .June. I met him near the Duomo, the 

 day of the celebration of the unity of Italy. He told me he was 

 going to see the Certosa Monastery the following morning. We 

 agreed to go together, and another friend accompanied us. We three 

 took a carriage and pair, and arrived at the convent, fifteen miles dis- 

 tant, about noon. We then drove on to Pavia, five miles farther. 

 After seeing the cathedral, we went to look at the universitj', and 

 went over the Museum of Anatomy. I inquired if there were any 

 eggs and birds in the museum, and was answered in the affirmative. 

 On looking round the glass cases, I noticed many eggs stuck on wires 

 on shelves, but all black over with dust. I noticed among some large 

 eggs what I thought was an egg of a Great Auk. I asked the attend- 

 ant to open the case, but he had not the key. I told him to go for 

 the sub-director. He returned with him and opened the case, which 

 was fastened with screws. I took down the egg, black over with dirt, 

 and rubbed it clean, and saw it was an Aha im'pennis. I told the sub- 

 director I wouhl exchange some skins for it. He could not say any- 

 thing, but referred me to the chief director, and at the same time told 

 me that the collection was given by Professor Spallanzani one hundred 

 years before, and that Spallanzani had been one of the lecturers in the 

 University. My friend the Russian interpreted for me. When I ob- 

 tained the address of the chief director, I proceeded to his residence, 

 accompanied by a youth, a student of the college, who spoke English 

 — my friends meanwhile staying at the museum waiting my return. 

 On my arrival at the director's residence, I told him there was 

 amongst the eggs an egg of " Le Grand Pinguin," and I should be 



