EXPEDITION TO FUNK ISLAND. " 511 



light, ami the intermingled condition of the buried remains is in no 

 small degree due to the labors of the busy Puffins. 



During the day, perching upon the ruins of the hut, or standing on 

 the blocks of granite, they watched our labors with mingled interest 

 and suspicion, while towards sunset, returning from distant fishing ex- 

 peditions they gathered along the bluffs in battalions, tiaukcd by com- 

 panies of Murres and Kazor-bills. 



The Puffins were the first to assure us of the success of the expedition, 

 for the many specimens of the unmistakable humerus of the Great Auk 

 contained in their little osteological collections were certain evidence 

 of the quantities of bones that lay beneath the soil. The modus oper- 

 andi in digging was to skim off the superficial layer of turf and with a 

 few strokes of the hoe bring up some samples of bones. If, on inspec- 

 tion, the quality of the bones was found to be good, careful excavation 

 with hoe and fingers followed, but if, as often happened, the exhumed 

 bones were brown and weatherworn, another spot was tried at once. 



Quantity was a secondary consideration, for where the remains were 

 most abundant they were usually in a poor state of preservation, the 

 more scattered specimens being the best. 



On the northerly slope a stroke of the hoe made anywhere would 

 bring to light at least a score of bones, but on the west, and more espe- 

 cially on the south, the deposits rapidly thinned out, although no spot 

 was tried where Auk bones were not found, and it is no exaggeration 

 to say that millions of Garefowl gave up their lives on these few acres 

 of barren rock. 



Professor Milne seems to have had some doubt of all the bones he 

 discovered being those of the Great Auk, for he remarks : " at nearly 

 every trial bones were found, but there was nothing that could be 

 identified as ever having belonged to the bird for which I searched." 



For the benefit of future visitors to Funk Island it may be said that 

 bones, other than those of the Great Auk, are of very rare occurrence, 

 so much so that two barrels of earth and bones, gathered haphazard, con- 

 tained less than a handful belonging to any other bird. 



Contrary to what might be supposed the more recent bones are in the 

 worst state of preservation, for owing to their protection from the sun 

 and the fact that they are kept damp for the greater part of the time, 

 those found in the lower stratum of soil are iu much better condition 

 than those nearer the surface. 



The majority of the bones are weatherworn, others are stained but 

 perfect, while now and then a bone may be found looking as fresh and 

 white as if the bird to which it belonged had been killed but a year or 

 so ago. 



Some of the best preserved bones lay at the entrance of Puffin bur- 

 rows and had evidently been brought to light in the course of their 

 spring house-cleaning, but it proved a futile task to follow the course 

 of the hole in the hope of finding others equally good. 



