Vol.XXIIl Thayer, Purchase of Great Auk. 3OI 



In Symington Grieve's book, ' The Great Auk or Garefowl. Its 

 History, Archaeology and Remains,' there appears the following : 

 "On the nth of July, 1865, there was sold at Steven's Sale 

 Rooms, London, four Great Auk eggs, that were part of the splen- 

 did set of ten eggs discovered in the Museum of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons. The prices they fetched were 33^, 31 £— 

 38 s, and two 29^ each." As it may be interesting for our 

 readers to have some further information about these eggs, we 

 may state, that in a footnote on page 483 of 'The Garefowl and 

 its Historians' (Nat. Hist. Review, 1865), Professor A. Newton 

 mentions that a few years prior to that time there was found in 

 the Royal College of Surgeons, London, by the late Curator, Mr. 

 Stewart, a box with the words, " Penquin Eggs — Dr. Dick." Of 

 when or how they came into possession of the establishment there 

 was no record. 



The box contained ten matchless Great Auk eggs, which were 

 recognized by Professor A. Newton, and from the name Penquin 

 being on the box he supposed them to be of American origin. 



The collection appears to have been unique and unrivalled, and 

 to all interested in such remains invaluable for comparison. The 

 authorities of the Royal Museum were evidently unappreciative of 

 them, for it is stated that they disposed of some without even tak- 

 ing casts or photographs. From a letter which Mr. J. C. Stevens, 

 the Auctioneer, wrote to Mr. Champley, dated 14th of July, 1865, 

 we get the following information : Lot 140 sold for 2g£, Lot 141 

 for 33£- Lot : 42 for 31^-10 s. Lot 143 for 29^. 



In addition to the above four eggs of which we have given the 

 sale prices, three others from the same collection were sold pri- 

 vately to Mr. Champley. 



Egg No. 6 (Plate XIV, lower figure) was bought from Mr. Ward 

 of London, who got it from Mr. Fairmaire, a dealer in Zoological 

 wares in Paris. Mr. Ward sold it to Mr. Champley. Size 4J 

 inches long, 3 inches broad. It has a ground color of dirty white, 

 beautifully marked all over with black and brown spots. In 

 Grieve's list of Great Auk's eggs this is No. 61 (see Grieve, 

 page 33, appendix). 



Egg No. 7 (not figured) was bought through the agency of 

 Professor Flower from the Royal College of Surgeons by Mr. 



