GREAT AUK. 451 



Bullock's specimen, now in the British Museum, is given on plate 

 35 of a folio volume, entitled 'Illustrations of Zoology/ etc. (Edin- 

 burgh, 1831), by James Wilson, F.R.S.E., the writer from whom 

 I have already quoted. In this work the following remarks occur 

 bearing on the bird's incapacity for flight, which was doubtless 

 one of the chief causes which led to its extinction: "From the 

 total inability of these birds to fly, and their inaptitude at 

 walking, they are seldom observed out of the water. Neither are 

 they often seen beyond soundings. This probably arises from the 

 necessity under which they labour of drying their plumage occa- 

 sionally by mounting upon a rock or stone, as their feathers can 

 derive no advantage from the usual effects of flight. This motion 

 of swimming, also, being so much less rapid than that of flying, 

 they are comparatively restricted in their acquatic excursions." 

 Of the various portraits of this bird illustrating the works of 

 British authors, that by Stewart, forming plate 16 of the fourth 

 volume of Sir William Jardine's British birds, and the woodcut 

 in Yarrell's third volume, may be instanced as both pleasing and 

 accurate. Donovan's figure, published in 1819, was, as he informs 

 us, taken from a specimen formerly in the Leverian Museum, and 

 purchased by him, at the dispersion of that collection, for ten 

 guineas a price which has risen at least tenfold within the last 

 thirty years. Nor are the eggs less valuable in proportion. Four 

 were sold in London by public auction in 1865, and realised in 

 separate lots ,33, .31 10s, and two at 29 each. As time 

 deepens the conviction of the utter disappearance of the species, 

 the value of both skins and eggs will to a certainty increase. In 

 a recent communication to the Ibis, "on existing remains of the 

 Grarefowl," by Professor Newton of Cambridge, a copy of which, 

 corrected to May, 1871, has been obligingly forwarded to me by 

 the author, I find the following summary given : 



Germany 20 



Denmark 2 



France 7 (or 8?) 



Holland 2 



Italy 5 



Germany 1 



SKINS. 



Norway 1 



Sweden 2 



United Kingdom ...22 



Russia 1 



Switzerland 3 



SKELETONS. 



Italy 1 



United Kingdom ... 4 



Belgium 2 



Portugal 1 



United States 3 



Total 71 (or 72?) 



United States 2 



Total..., .~~9 



