262 The Great A uk. [Sess. 



are small and perfect, and show very little. There were no 

 fractures to be seen." 



This egg was sold at the rooms of Mr J. C. Stevens, 38 

 King Street, Covent Garden, London, on 13th April 1897, at 

 2.30 p.m., and is described on p. 13 of the catalogue as "Lot 

 A, Egg of the Great Auk, a very fine and perfect specimen." 

 Beferring to this sale, the 'Standard' of 14th April 1897 

 says : — 



A considerable amount of interest attached to the sale by auction 

 yesterdaj', at Mr J. C. Stevens' Rooms in King Street, Covent Garden, of 

 a very fine and perfect specimen of an egg of the Great Auk. There was 

 a very large attendance, and, after a spirited competition, the bidding, 

 starting at 100 guineas, quickly rose by 5 and 10 guinea bids, until the sum 

 of 280 guineas was reached, at which price the much-sought-after specimen 

 was knocked down to Mr T. G. Middlebrook. 



No. 3. — Messrs Jay of the Mourning Warehouse, Eegent 

 Street, London, purchased an egg of Alca impennis Linn, for 

 £173, 5s. at public sale at Mr J. C. Stevens', 38 King Street, 

 Covent Garden, London, on 25th June 1895, lot 211. This 

 egg was taken, the sale catalogue says, in Iceland, about 1830, 

 by a shipowner of St Malo, who bequeathed it to the Comte 

 Eaoul de Berace, whose collection was purchased by the 

 Baron d'Hamonville. This specimen, slightly cracked, which 

 in colouring and texture is unique, was figured in the 

 ' Memoires de la Societe Zoologique de France' in 1888, 

 plate 6, fig. c; and additional notes on its history appeared 

 in the 'Bulletin' of the Societe in 1891 (see also pp. 88, 

 104, and 105, 'The Great Auk : its History, Archaeology, and 

 Bemains'; also 'Zoologist' for 1895, p. 269). The egg was 

 in the possession of the International Fur Store (Jays, 

 Limited), 1st January 1897 (see letter from them). 



On the 27th July 1897 this egg was again offered for sale 

 at the Booms of Mr J. C. Stevens. The ' Daily Telegraph ' 

 of 28th July 1897 says : " Dealers and private collectors were 

 present in large numbers, but the bidding, which was com- 

 menced at 100 guineas by Mr Middlebrook, was very slow. 

 This sum was advanced, after a long pause, to 120 guineas, 

 when again there was a halt, no one apparently thinking the 

 cracked egg worth more. Three advances of 10 guineas were 

 made, then another of five. Mr Middlebrook added a further 



