32 THE AUKS 



etc. But probably the most complete account is that of Professor 

 Wilhelm Blasius, referred to above (pp. 169-208). Published in 1903, 

 it contains practically all that was known on the subject up to that 

 date. Since that time remains have been discovered in caves and 

 kitchen-middens in various localities both in the British Isles and on 

 the Continent, and it is only in this branch of research that we can 

 hope for any further results. 



As a British bird the great-auk was probably always a very local 

 and far from common species. Putting aside the reported occur- 

 rences which are unsupported by actual proof, 1 the only evidence of its 

 occurrence off the English coasts is furnished by the discovery in 1878 

 of a quite unmistakable upper mandible among extensive deposits of 

 bones of various mammals and birds, as well as shells of molluscs, in 

 a cave at Whitburn Lizards, at the eastern extremity of the Cleadon 

 Hills, on the Durham coast. These remains were identified by the 

 late John Hancock (see R. Howse, Nat. Hist. Transactions of Northum- 

 berland and Durham, 1880, vii. pt. 2, pp. 361-364). In Scotland remains 

 are more numerous. Near Keiss, in Caithness, various bones were 

 discovered in kitchen-middens in 1864, which were identified by 

 Professor Owen (see S. Laing, F.S.A. Scot, Prehistoric Remains 

 of Caithness, 1866). In 1879-81 Messrs. S. Grieve and W. Galloway 

 explored a cone-shaped mound on Oronsay and obtained from it a 

 number of bones of the great-auk, of which a complete list will be 

 found in Grieve's monograph (see pp. 47-61). From this evidence 

 Mr. Grieve infers that at one time the garefowl was common in the 

 neighbourhood of Oronsay, and probably bred on the numerous rocky 

 islets near its shores. It is probable that a careful and systematic 

 exploration of the Hebrides would result in the discovery of many 

 other remains. 



There seems to be no doubt that St. Kilda was formerly a regular 



1 Such as those referred to in Hancock's Catalogue of the Birds of Northumberland and 

 Durham, p. 165, and S. Grieve's monograph, pp. 24, 25. It is also said to have occurred near 

 Lundy Island, on the coast of Cork, and in Belfast Lough (Yarrell, iv., edit. 4, p. 65). See also 

 Birds of Ireland, p. 360. 



