EXPEDITION TO FUNK ISLAND. ' 507 



thickly covered with vegetation*, this, the former breeding ground of 

 the Great Auk, being mapped out in vivid green by the plants nour- 

 ished by the decomposed bodies and slowly decomposing bones of the 

 long extinct bird. 



It would seem that the Auk Inhabited every accessible foot of ground, 

 the inability of the bird to fly restricting it of necessity to such portions 

 of the island as could be reached after a landing had been effected on 

 the northerly or southerly slope. 



Any abrupt rise of smooth rock, although comparatively low, would 

 interpose an insurmountable barrier to further progress, and from the 

 character of the rock and total absence of bones, it does not seem that 

 the Auk ever passed beyond the southernmost line of fault, or even 

 reached the eastern part of the island. 



Here the Auk bred in peace for ages, undisturbed by man t until 

 that fateful day in June, 1534, when Cartier's crews inaugurated the 

 slaughter that terminated only with the existence of the Great Auk. 



Here to day the bones of myriads of Garefowl lie buried in the shallow 

 soil formed above their moldered bodies, and here, in this vast Alcine 

 cemetery, are thickly scattered slabs of weathered granite, like so many 

 crumbling tombstones marking the resting places of the departed Auks. 



It is rather curious that these blocks of stone should be found on this 

 part of the island, just where they would be most needed by man, but 

 for some reason the rock seems to weather into slabs more on the 

 southern rise than elsewhere. It is also an interesting coincidence, to 

 say the least, that Robert Hore and another of the old navigators 

 speak of Penguin Island as " very full of rocks and stones," although 

 their accounts seem to refer to Cape la Hune, Penguin Islands, rather 

 than to Funk Island. 



* The following plants have been recorded from Funk Island. 



* Poa annua L. Common in wet places. * CochhaHa officinalis L. Among pebbles 



* Glyceria wariiuoa Wahl. Common in at head of Indian Gulch. 



wet places. t Cochlearia fenestrata. 



* Senecia vulgaris L. Common in wet * Cceloplenrum (/melini Led. 



places. t Haloscias seoticum. 



t Plantago maritivia. Along ponds. t Riimex. 



* Ranunculus liyperboreus Rotlb. * CJienopodium album f 



* Stellaria media. * Bynum knowltoni ; sp. nov. 



Those preceded by an asterisk (*) were collected by Mr. William Palmer, and those 

 preceded by the dagger (t) were noted by Professor Milne. 



It is a little curious that but a single species was observed by both naturalists, the 

 more that Professor Milne was on the island but half an hoar and Mr. Palmer parts 

 of two days. 



t A paddle and remains of canoes are said to have been found here, as well as stone 

 arrow heads, and this would indicate visits from the Indians. Professor Milne con- 

 siders this doubtful, owing to the indiffereutseagoing qualities of the Beothuc canoes. 

 There seems, too, no reason why they should incur the risk of visiting this island so 

 far at sea when plenty of sea fowl could be obtained nearer home. Still, if the remains 

 actually were found, they could scarcely have come here by accident. 



