ALCADJ:. 



board it was left at liberty on the deck. It walked very 

 awkwardly, often tumbling over; bit every one within 

 reach of its powerful bill, and refused food of all kinds. 

 After continuing several days on board it was restored to 

 its proper element. When I was at Labrador, many of 

 the fishermen assured me. that the Penguin, as they name 

 this bird, breeds on a low rocky island to the south-east 

 of Newfoundland, where they destroy great numbers of 

 the young for bait ; but as this intelligence came to me 

 when the season was too far advanced, I had no oppor- 

 tunity of ascertaining its accuracy. In Newfoundland, 

 however, I received similar information from several indi- 

 viduals. An old gunner residing on Chelsea Beach, near 

 Boston, told me that he well remembered the time when 

 the Penguins were plentiful about Nahant, and some other 

 islands in the bay." 



Mr. Lloyd, in his Scandinavian Adventures, vol. ii. p. 

 496, says, that on parts at least of the coast of Iceland, 

 the Great Auk is still to be met with. This is more 

 especially the case on the so-called Great Auk Skiir ; 

 upon which, however, so fearful a surf is said constantly 

 to beat, that it is rarely, excepting at imminent risk to 

 life, that a landing can be effected. 



In the year 1813, a colony of these birds, we are told, 

 were here observed by a passing ship. A boat was at once 

 despatched to the spot, and no fewer than twenty were 

 captured on their eggs, all of which were carried to Rei- 

 kiavig. One of the birds was afterwards stuffed, but the 

 others were eaten. In 1814, again, eight individuals were 

 killed on a flat Skar on the west coast of Iceland. In 

 1818, a single one was taken at a place in South Iceland, 

 where several others were also observed. In 1823, two 

 old birds were killed on a Skar near to Orebakke, and 

 both were sent to the Royal Museum at Copenhagen. In 



