1896-97-] The Great Auk. 249 



of Paris and Loudon, who sold it to Mr Leopold Field, 25 

 Brodrick Eoad, London, S.W., who offered it for £300 to the 

 Museum of Science and Art, Edinburgh. Before sanction could 

 be obtained from the Department at South Kensington for its 

 purchase it was sold by the owner to Mr Rowland Ward, 166 

 Piccadilly, London — it was understood for £315. In a letter, 

 dated 23rd December 1896, Mr Ward informs me that he 

 paid 600 guineas for this skin and the Potts egg. The skin 

 is still in the possession of Mr Ward ; but the Museum at 

 Tring will eventually be its resting-place, as it has been pur- 

 chased by the Hon. W. Rothschild. 1 



I had an opportunity of examining this skin when sent to 

 Edinburgh on approbation. It was not in very good condition, 

 but I understand has since then been thoroughly overhauled 

 and put in as good order as possible. It appears to me to be 

 exceedingly interesting, for the following reasons. It is the 

 skin of an immature bird, and probably represents the third 

 youngest specimen of the Great Auk known. The youngest 

 bird known is in the Museum of Natural History at Newcastle- 

 on-Tyue. The next youngest is probably the immature 

 specimen in the Bohemian National Museum at Prague, 

 Austria (fig.. 8, plate 59, Vogel Europa's, Dr Anton Fritsch) 

 (se^i Plate II.) The next in order of age is the specimen 

 we are now writing about. Very few immature skins seem to 

 have been preserved by the original collectors, as there is little 

 doubt that large skins, those of adult birds, were most valued, 

 as being more saleable, until it was realised that the Great 

 Auk was on the verge of extinction. 



No. 2. — This skin was in the collection of Count David de 

 Riocour at Vitry-le-Frangois, and is referred to at p. 79 and 

 App. p. 24, ' Great Auk or Garefowl.' 



During 1887 Mr G. A. Frank, London, had some corres- 



1 This is not either of the two skins recorded, ' Great Auk or Garefowl,' p. 79, 

 and App. p. 7, as being in the Ducal Museum of Natural History, Brunswick, 

 for both skins are still there, as the Director, Professor Dr Wilhelm Blasius, 

 kindly informs me in a letter dated 30th January 1897. Neither is it the skin 

 recorded as being in the Town Zoological Museum, Mainz (' Great Auk or Gare- 

 fowl,' p. 79, and App. p. 16). The Curator, Herr Wilhelm von Reichman, in 

 answer to my inquiries, was good enough to write me from the Natural History 

 Museum, Mainz, 15th April 1897, "We have in the Museum at Mainz a most 

 beautiful exemplar of Alca impennis." 



