GREAT AUK 213 



uously and unevenly scrawled or blotched, chiefly about the larger end 

 with black or very dark brown, sometimes with lighter brown, drab 

 or gray. 



The measurements of 40 eggs, obtained from the Thayer collec- 

 tion and through the kindness of Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain, average 

 123. 7 by 75. 5 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes meas- 

 ure 140 by 70, 126.5 by 83.5, 111 by 72, and 116 by 69 millimeters.] 



Behavior. Contemporaneous writers, especially some of the older 

 ones, show considerable imagination in their description of this bird 

 and its habits, but many of their accounts are evidently truthful and 

 are of great interest. A number of these are quoted here as a con- 

 tribution to the life history of this extinct bird. 



The following description is by M. Martin (1753), who lived for 

 three weeks on St. Kilda in June, 1697: 



The sea fowl are first gairfowl, being the stateliest as well as the largest 

 sort, and above the size of a solan goose, of a black color, red about the 

 eyes, a large spot under each, a long broad bill; it stands stately, its whole body 

 erected, its wings short, flies not at all; lays its egg upon the bare rock, which 

 if taken away, she lays no more for that year; she is whole footed, and has 

 the hatching spot upon her breast, i. e., a bare spot from which the feathers 

 have fallen off with the heat in hatching; its egg is twice as big as that of a 

 solan goose, and is variously spotted, black, green, and dark; it comes without 

 regard to any wind, appears the first of May, and goes away about the middle 

 of June. 



Cartwright (1792) under date of August 5, 1771, wrote in his 

 journal: 



During a calm in the afternoon Shuglawina went off in his kyack in pursuit 

 of a penguin; he presently came within a proper distance of the bird, and 

 stuck his dart into it; but, as the weapon did not enter a mortal part, the 

 penguin swam and dived so well that he would have lost both the bird and the 

 dart had he not driven it near enough the vessel for me to shoot it. 



Plumages. On the 18th of August, 1821 (or 1822), a great auk 

 was captured near the Island of Glass or Scalpa (one of the Heb- 

 rides). A description of this bird by Fleming (1824), who was 

 present at the time, throws light on the change from nuptial to winter 

 plumage of the species. He says: 



A few white feathers were at this time making their appearance in the 

 sides of its neck and throat, which increased considerable during the following 

 week, and left no room to doubt, that, like its congeners, the blackness of the 

 throat feathers of summer is exchanged for white during the winter season. 



Food. As to its food, according to Grieve (1885), Fabricius said: 



The great auk fed on Coitus scorpius, or the bullhead, and Cydopterus lumpus 

 or the lump fish, and other fishes of the same size. 



It is said that one was caught about 1812 near Papa Westray, 

 Orkney, on the open sea by some fishermen, who enticed it to the side 



