AULD LANG SYNE 478 



at nest making, each female deposits one large 

 egg. It is held in place by the webbed iVrt 

 of the parent bird during the period of hatch- 



AURELIUS 



THE GREAT AUK 



ing. The legs of the auks are placed so far 

 back on the body that the birds when upright 

 appear to stand on their tails. Their, wings 

 are quite useless for flight but are extremely 

 serviceable as fins in swimming. 



The Great Auk, or Garefowl, which for- 

 merly inhabited northern regions and occa- 

 sionally visited the British Isles, is now extinct. 

 It was as large as a goose, and black and white 

 in color. Eggs of this species, and some stuffed 

 specimens of the bird, are carefully preserved 

 in museums. 



The Razor-Billed Auk is about fifteen inches 

 in length and has a sharp and heavy bill. This 

 species breeds in great numbers on the coast 

 of Labrador and New Brunswick and thousands 

 are killed every year for their breast feathers. 

 An occasional visitor to the United States is 

 the Little Auk, about the size of a robin and 

 black and white in color. It is occasionally 

 found during winter in the regions of the Great 

 Lakes. 



AULD LANG SYNE, awld lang sine. These 

 Scotch words which mean old long since, or 

 the days gone by, are the title of a very pop- 

 ular old song, of which the words are generally 

 ascribed to Robert Burns. It seems most prob- 

 able, however, that Burns merely rewrote a 

 song which had been sung a century and a half 

 before his time, adding two stanzas and giving 

 to the whole the touch of his unique genius. 

 The music, which seems one with the words, 

 ,is an old Scottish air. Few songs are sung 



oftener or with greater feeling than Auld Lang 

 Syne. The first stanza and the refrain follow: 



Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

 And never brought to min'? 



Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

 And days o' auld lang syne? 



For auld lang syne, my dear, 



For auld lang syne, 

 We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet, 



For auld lang syne. 



AURELIAN, aw re' lian, Lucius DOMITIUS 

 (AURELIANUS) (about 212-275), a Roman em- 

 peror whose firm and vigorous rule in an age of 

 disorder and unrest gave him the title "Re- 

 storer of the Empire." Of humble birth, he 

 rose to the highest rank in the army, and on 

 the death of Claudius II in 270 was chosen 

 emperor by the soldiers. He freed Italy from 

 the barbarians, conquered the famous Zenobia, 

 queen of Palmyra, and followed up his victories 

 by introducing reforms and restoring order 

 throughout the empire. He had many public 

 works and buildings erected, and to him also 

 is due the enlargement and restoration of the 

 walls of Rome. Aurelian was assassinated 

 while heading an expedition against the Per- 

 sians. 



AURELIUS, aw re' li us, MARCUS (121-180), 

 the last of the "five good emperors" of Rome, 

 and noted also as a philosopher, was famed 

 for his gentleness and sweetness of character. 

 It has been said of him that he "devoted 

 himself to the task of government with a 

 single view to the happiness of his people." 

 He came to the throne in the year 161, suc- 

 ceeding his foster-father, Antoninus Pius. 

 Early in his reign he was forced to send an 

 army against the Parthians, and his victorious 

 soldiers brought home with them, in 165, a 

 terrible Asiatic plague that swept off vast num- 

 bers of his people. In the midst of this 

 national distress came news of the uprising of 

 the barbarians in the regions beyond the Alps, 

 and Aurelius, placing himself at the head of 

 his legions, hastened to the protection of the 

 Roman frontiers. The greater part of his 

 life thereafter was spent in the camp or on 

 the battlefield, in the effort to keep back the 

 various Germanic tribes, and he died from 

 the effects of this campaigning in the nine- 

 teenth year of his reign. 



Aurelius was naturally a student and a lover 

 of peace, and his Meditations, much read to- 

 day, have more of the spirit of Christ's teach- 

 ings than any other pagan writings. Though 

 his reign was marred by bitter persecution 



