338 The Great Auk. [Sess. 



with irregular dark blotches. The great axis is 128 mm., and 

 the small axis 70 mm. 



Eu. — M. H. Duchaussoy says : " M. Josse Hardy was born 

 at Bacqueville, in the Pays de Caux, in 1798, and died at 

 Dieppe on 31st December 1863, 1 after having given to the 

 Museum of the town a magnificent collection of birds, contain- 

 ing notably a very fine specimen of Alca impennis. M. J. 

 Hardy had also brought together a large number of eggs, which 

 had been carefully named. The eggs were deposited in the 

 Museum of Dieppe, to remain the property of his heirs. 



" M. Michel Hardy and Madame Le Boeuf had them removed 

 in 1895 to Eu, to the house of relatives of Madame Ursel, the 

 granddaughter of M. Josse Hardy. According to a printed 

 catalogue, the collection contained 1836 eggs, belonging to 

 388 species, some of which did not belong to Europe. We 

 have noticed that some of the eggs were collected on the Ural 

 Mountains and on the shores of Lake Baikal by Professor 

 Martin of the University of Ekaterinburg. Many of the series 

 are very interesting, from the number of varieties ; for ex- 

 ample, Uria lomvia (60), Alca torda (26), Butco vulgaris (23), 

 Sterna Wilsonii (22), Larus argentatus (22), &c. 



" The most important egg is that of Alca impennis, seen 

 in 1847 by Wolley and in 1859 by Prof. A. Newton. 

 According to the latter, M. Josse Hardy had received the egg 

 from Newfoundland ; but on the other hand, Mesdames Le 

 Boeuf and Ursel have assured me that it had been given by 

 Temminck as a token of gratitude for much information he 

 had received from M. Josse Hardy. 



" This egg, which we were able to study on 3rd September 

 1896, has the following dimensions: Large axis, 123 mm., 

 and the small axis, 78 mm. The two diameters intersect at 

 40 mm. from the thick end, or - 325 from the greatest length. 

 The shell is a little granulose, and is of a dirty greyish-yellow 

 colour, with greenish-brown blotches accumulated, especially 

 upon the thick end. It shows an insignificant crack and two 

 little holes." 



Press Notice. — At p. 262 I refer to the egg which at 



1 Professor Wh. Blasius, " Zur Geschichte der Ueberreste von Alca impennis 

 Linn.," Naumburg A/S 1884, gives the date of the death of M. Josse Hardy as 

 31st October 1863. 



