238 ALCID/E. 



THE GREAT AUK. 



Alca impennis, Liun. 



Is of extremely rare occurrence. 



One individual was noticed by mc in the ' Proceedings of the 

 Zoological Society' in 1835 (p. 79), as taken on the coast. It 

 was preserved in tlie collection of Dr. Burkitt, of Waterford, who 

 has contributed the following particulars. He received the bird 

 on the 7th of September, 1834, from Mr. Eobert Davis, jun., of 

 Clonmel, who stated that it was taken in the preceding month of 

 May (by the fisherman of whom he purchased it), at a short dis- 

 tance from the shore, at the mouth of Waterford Harbour, off 

 Ballymacaw. According to the captor, it was apparently almost 

 starved. When in his yawl off the coast, he saw the auk swim- 

 ming about near liim, and held out some sprats, for which it came 

 close to the boat. It was taken with little difficulty. He kept 

 it for some days, feeding it chiefly with potatoes mashed in 

 milk, which were partaken of greedily. After having the bird 

 for ten days, he sold it to Mr. Davis, by whom it was sent to 

 Mr. Gough, of Horetown, county Wexford, where it Hved for 

 about four months. Eor a considerable time, perhaps three weeks, 

 it was not known to eat of anything at its new destination, but 

 potatoes and milk were then forced down its throat, from which 

 time it ate voraciously, until a day or two before its death. This 

 auk stood very erect, and frequently stroked its head with its 

 foot, especially when any favourite food was presented. When 

 in Mr. Gough's possession, it was chiefly fed on fish, of which 

 fresh-water species (trout, &c.) were preferred to sea-fish: they 

 were swallowed entire. It was ratlier fierce. 



The following description was, at my request, kindly supplied by Dr. Burkitt at 

 the same time. " This bird — a young female — is not in good plumage ; the head, 

 back, wings, legs, and feet, are sooty black ; between the biU and eye on each side of 

 the head there is a large patch of white, mottled with blackish feathers ; the neck is 

 white, slightly mottled with black ; the front of the body white ; the lesser quills 

 tipped with white. 



