The Great Atik. 327 



V.— ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE GREAT AUK OB 

 GABEFOWL (ALCA IMPENNIS Linn.), 



With special eeference to two newly recorded Skins. 



By Mr SYMINGTON GRIEVE. 



(Read Feb. 23, 1898.) 



I have written this paper so that it may appear in the same 

 volume of the ' Transactions ' as my paper upon this subject 

 that was published last year. The information which appeared 

 in that paper was from my notes written up to 31st July 

 1897, but since that date some other information worth re- 

 cording has come to hand. 



During last August I received from Mons. H. Duchaussoy 

 of Amiens a valuable paper, " Le Grand Pingouin du Mus^e 

 d'Histoire oSTaturelle d' Amiens," published in the ' Memoires 

 de la Socie^e Linneenne du Nord de la France ' (tome ix., 

 1892-95). When this communication reached me, my paper 

 was already in print ; but through the kindness of the Editor 

 of the ' Transactions ' I was able to insert an acknowledgment 

 of the receipt of Mons. H. Duchaussoy's pamphlet, which 

 appears at p. 245. When I had time to peruse this contri- 

 bution to Great Auk literature more carefully, I found it 

 contains much information about French specimens of great 

 interest and value, and contained the record of one skin which 

 until now had been unknown. It has been discovered at 

 Nielles-les-Ardres, and I give a translation of what Mons. H. 

 Duchaussoy says. 



Skins. 



France. 



Nielles-les-Ardres. — M. le Baron de Vilmarest has in the 

 museum at his chateau a most valuable collection of birds. 

 The most valuable specimen of all is a magnificent Alca 

 impennis, which was bequeathed to him by M. de Cossette in 



