The Zoologist— April, 1869. 1639 



thought that this species would be sufficiently protected by the owners 

 of the soil on which it is found nesting, and that as the eggs taken for 

 food are almost invariably those of the black-headed gull, he believed 

 that if these were excepted in the Act, there would be no objection to 

 protecting the others. 



The following resolutions were then put to the Meeting, and 

 carried : — 



1. — That the Bill should contain a clause for the protection of 

 the eggs. 



2. — That a proviso should be inserted to the effect, that no penalty 

 should attach for taking birds unable to fly bond jide for the purpose 

 of food. 



3. — That the close-time should commence on the first of April and 

 expire on the first of August. 



A vote of thanks to the Chairman then terminated the proceedings. 



Notes on the Great Auk. 

 By J. H. GuRNEY, jun., Esq., F.Z.S. 



Of the great auks alluded to in my previous paper (Zool. SS. 1442) 

 the Cork specimen and the one found dead at Lundy Island are not 

 accounted for ; probably neither were fit to stufi"; nevertheless, it is 

 much to be regretted they were not kept for the sake of the skeletons. 

 The remainder are in collections; according to Yarrell, more than 

 two occurred at St. Kilda ; at any rate there is no known English 

 specimen of the great auk existing, — although, of course, there is not 

 the least reason why the Durham specimen that the Rev. J. Gisborne 

 bought for £8 should not be English-killed, or the bird that belonged 

 to the old WyclifFe Museum (which is a young one changing into 

 winter plumage), now at Newcastle. The latter, in all likelihood, is 

 English : according to Latham, the young great auks used not un- 

 frequently to be blown ashore. This bird Mr. Hancock re-stuflFed 

 two or three years ago; from it, and from Mr. Hancock's own beau- 

 tiful specimen, every bone has been extracted : on placing the two 

 skulls side by side, it is observable that the orbit is completely formed 

 in the adult, while in the young one the socket is imperfect. Mr. 

 Hancock was good enough to point out to me how this held good in 

 the razorbill. I have been favoured with a photograph of this very 

 old specimen, mentioned both by Donovan and Latham. I may here 



