BIRDS. 257 



prevented any further increase." Now the place pointed out 

 by Hourston is perhaps one of the least exposed spots on the 

 whole of the island ; this makes it appear as if the place where 

 the " King " was shot was merely a resting-place for these birds ; 

 for if, as before related, the female could be (apparently) easily 

 approached and killed with stones, it is scarcely reasonable to 

 think that the male could not at least be as easily killed with a 

 gun ; whereas both Bullock and Hourston speak to its wildness. 



With regard to a statement made previously, p. 247, that 

 that was the only reference to the egg of Alca impennis from 

 Orkney, we find it stated at p. 107 of Symington Grieve's work 

 on the Great Auk that " Mr. Scales got an egg from him (Mons. 

 Dufresne) reported to have come from the Orkney Islands, 

 which, however, Professor Newton thinks extremely unlikely." 



By summarising all the foregoing accounts, and by giving 

 precedence to the older, and therefore most likely the more 

 reliable ones, the history of. the Great Auk in Orkney seems to 

 be as follows : 



Only one pair was known to inhabit the Orkneys. That the 

 female was killed before the male, quite probably while sitting 

 on her egg. 



That after her death the male did not pair again. That the 

 male lived in the hole in the Fowl's Craig indicated in the plate. 



He was at last shot, at or about this place, by William 

 Foulis in the summer of 1813. 



William Foulis was about thirty-five years of age when he 

 killed the Auk. 



Lomvia troile (L.). Common Guillemot. 

 Orc.=jS5fe0ttf (J. G. M.-H.). 



An abundant summer visitant, breeding in most of the suitable 

 places all through the islands. Guillemots are fond of sitting 

 with their backs to the sea. When brooding its young one the 

 old bird crouches forward, drooping its wings and puffing itself 

 out until its body looks quite round, and it seems very careful 

 to keep its young one as far back from the edge of the ledge as 



R 



