92 HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN FAUNA. 



British Islands was formerly more extensive. Another 

 bird which probably came to our shores with this 

 same migration, though it is now unfortunately ex- 

 tinct, is the Great Auk (Alca impennis), of which 

 some specimens have luckily been preserved in our 

 museums. From the occurrence of its remains in 

 kitchen-middens and other recent deposits, the Great 

 Auk is known to have inhabited the coasts of Scotland, 

 Ireland, and Scandinavia, as well as those of New- 

 foundland. Mr. Ussher recently found the bones of 

 this bird near Waterford, which, I believe, is the most 

 southern locality known. The manner of their occur- 

 rence leaves no doubt that the bird had been used as 

 food by the early races of man. In all probability it 

 originated in the Arctic Regions, and subsequently 

 spread south on either side of the Atlantic. We 

 need not here refer to the many winter visitants, 

 northern birds which appear regularly, or at more 

 or less long intervals, in these islands, although in 

 most of the ornithological works they are included 

 under the term "British Birds." 



All the British reptiles and amphibia appear to 

 have reached us from the south or east, but among 

 the fishes there are a good many northern forms. 

 The whole salmon family the Salmonidcs are 

 typical northern immigrants. The Stickleback (Gas- 

 terosteus aculeatus\ too, has undoubtedly come to us 

 from the north. The genus Cottus, like Gasterosteus> 

 is certainly Arctic in origin. Originally freshwater 

 forms, many species are now found between tide- 



