STILL FOUND IN ICELAND. 497 



to Orebakke, and both were sent to the Royal Museum at 

 Copenhagen. In 1829 a pair, male and female, were killed 

 on the Geirfugle-Skjaer, whilst courageously defending their 

 two eggs (they usually lay but one). These birds are now in 

 the possession of the Apothecary Mechlenburg, at Flensborg. 

 Still later, in 1 832, at least ten were killed on a Skar near to 

 Iceland. In the year 1834, three birds and three eggs were 

 brought to Copenhagen from that island. In 1844, two 

 birds and two eggs also reached this city from the same 

 quarter. People whose word is to be relied on, Kjserbolling 

 tells us, have informed him that birds have subsequently 

 been seen off the coast of Iceland; but although a large 

 reward has been offered for both birds and skins, no one 

 has had the courage to land upon the Skar. 



From the above account, there can be little question as to 

 the great auk still existing in some numbers on the coast of 

 Iceland ; and I doubt not that we shall one day hear of some 

 of our enterprising countrymen having overcome all diffi- 

 culties, and returning home with a rich booty. 



The egg of the great auk (occasionally it lays two, as 

 it would seem from the foregoing) is about the size of that 

 of the swan, and in shape resembles that of the foolish 

 guillemot, but is less pointed. The ground colour is dirty- 

 white, tinged with yellow, marked, especially at the thicker 

 end, with black-grey and brown blotches and streaks. 



The Puffin (Lunne-Fogel, Sw. ; Fratercula arctica, Steph.) 

 was very scarce in our Skargard. A few pair bred, according 

 to M. von Wright, amongst the more northern of the islands, 

 where, however, the bird was so little known as, with the 

 fishermen, to go by the name of the Utlandsk Alk, or foreign 

 razor-bill. In the more southern parts of Sweden it is 



VOL. II. K K 



