1 1 8 Recent Notes on the Great Auk. [Sess. 



Reputed Fragment of Great Auk Skin. 



Boston. Collection of Mr Charles B. Cory. — A writer who signs himself 

 " L. S." in ' The Aiik,' vol. iii., No. 2, p. 263, says : " Mr Charles B. Cory has 

 a few moments ago orally informed me that what he possesses is only a frag- 

 ment of a skin of a breast and a few odd feathers, said to be from the Great 

 Auk, which he bought some years ago of a dealer a little outside of London, 

 and for which he paid £2." From the foregoing, it may be inferred that 

 Mr Cory has some doubt as to the above-mentioned remains being really 

 those of Alca impennis Linn. There are so many sea-birds from which 

 portions of plumage can be obtained similar to that of the Great Auk, that 

 it would be as well to have fuller information regarding the fragment of 

 skin and the feathers in question, before including them among the genuine 

 remains of the Great Auk. 



IMITATION REMAINS OF ALCA IMPENNIS LINN. 



It may interest you to know that recently the number of 

 imitation skins of Great Auks has been on the increase, and 

 most of them have been sold, or offered for sale, for what they 

 actually are — namely, models. However, I recently heard of 

 a collector who was offered what was described as an unre- 

 corded skin of the Great Auk, but which, on examination, was 

 found to be merely a model. It is only about a year ago that a 

 well-known ornithologist was passing through a town in the 

 midland counties, when by chance he happened to look into 

 a confectioner's window. There he saw, to his amazement, a 

 stuffed Great Auk. He at once went into the shop to make 

 inquiries, no doubt with the idea that he would be able to 

 record another specimen of Alca impennis. He saw the pro- 

 prietor, who told him it was only an imitation, and that, be- 

 sides selling confectionery, he did some bird-stufBng upon his 

 own account in the back premises. It transpired that, having 

 been a trip to Germany, the confectioner had seen a Great 

 Auk model, and determined to make one for himself on his 

 return home. To make sure of proceeding rightly, he visited 

 the museums in York and Leeds, where there are stuffed 

 specimens — made drawings, and then constructed his model 

 from Alca torcla and other skins. The ornithologist was so 

 pleased with the correctness of the model that he purchased 



a rough approximation. In addition to the detached bones mentioned above, 

 there is about 1^ cubic foot of earth got by the Grampus expedition with Great 

 Auk bones iti situ, which are not to be disturbed. 



