Class II. GREAT AUK. 147 



others blotched with black and ferruginous about 

 the thicker end : if the egg is taken away, it will 

 not lay another that season. A late writer* in- 

 forms us, that it does not visit that island an- 

 nually, but sometimes keeps away for several 

 years together, and adds, that it lays its egg 

 close to the sea-mark; being incapable, by rea- 

 son of the shortness of its wings, to mount 

 higher. 



The length of this bird, to the end of its toes, Descrip- 

 is three feet; that of the bill, to the corner of the 

 mouth, four inches and a quarter; part of the up- 

 per mandible is covered with short, black, velvet- 

 like feathers ; it is very strong, compressed and 

 marked with several furrows that tally both 

 above and below; between the eyes and the 

 bill on each side is a large white spot; the rest 

 of the head, the neck, back, tail, and wings, 

 are of a glossy black; the tips of the lesser quil 

 feathers white ; the whole under side of the body 

 white; the legs black. The wings are so small, 

 as to be useless for flight; the length, from the 

 tip of the longest quil feathers to the first joint, 

 being only four inches and a quarter. 



This bird is observed by seamen never to 

 wander beyond soundings ; and according to its 



* Macaulay's hist. St. Kilda. p. 156, 



