THE GREAT AUK. 



THIS bird is of the size of a goose ; its bill 

 is black, and covered at the base with short 

 velvet-like feathers. The upper parts of the 

 plumage are black, and the lower parts w r hite, 

 with a spot of white between the bill and the 

 eyes, and an oblong stripe of the same on the 

 wings, which are too short for flight. It is a 

 very bad walker, but swims and dives well. It 

 is, however, observed by seamen, that it is 

 never seen out of soundings, so that its ap- 

 pearance serves as an infallible direction to 

 land. It is frequently seen on the coasts of 

 Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland, &c. 



There is another bird of this description, 

 called the Penguin, of which there are several 

 varieties, which seems to hold the same place 

 in the southern parts of the world, that the 

 Auks do in the northern ; being only found in 

 the temperate and frigid zones of the southern 



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