THE GREAT AUK 



to a peculiar group of vegetable-feeding marine 

 animals, the Sirenians. It has a small head^ 

 flipper-like fins, no hind limbs, and a fish-like 

 tail. 



Fig. 15. — The Great Auk or Gare-fowl (Aica unpennis). Photo- 

 gi'aphed with its egg, from the specimens in the Natviral 

 History Museum. 



The skull of the same animal is shown in Fig. 

 14. It has no teeth, but instead bony plates. 



This is the picture of a celebrated animal 

 (Fig. 15) — for you must understand that birds are 

 animals. You w ill have been handed a list of the 

 groups of animals (see the end of this chapter). 



23 



