SOMATERIA LABRADORIA. 221 



''Some thirty years ago I remember seeing a bunch of, say, six adult 

 males hanging in the market, day after day, without finding a purchaser. 

 Since then only an occasional one has been seen ; but, as you will notice, 

 some have been quite recently obtained, which somewhat militates against 

 the supposition of their being extinct." 



With reference to " hanging in the market,'' and as a dish for the table, 

 we have the practical opinion of a voyager to Labrador, who partook of two 

 of these birds on October 6th, 1773, and who says '^' they afforded us an 

 excellent supper." 



But taste in such matters may vary; for Col. Prjevalsky tells us 

 Q Mongoha,' vol. i. p. 56) that " a Mongol, born and bred amid frightful 

 squalor, who could rehsh carrion, shuddered when he saw us eat Duck a 

 FeuropSenne ; and one of our guides nearly turned sick." For our part we 

 wish that all very rare species could be rendered distasteful. 



List of Specimens. 



EUROPE. 



The British Museum 6,2 



S adult^ presented to the Museum by the Hudson^s Bay Company about 



the year 1835. 

 ? adult_, purchased from Verreaux in 1863^ with a miscellaneous lot of 

 North- American birds. 



Liverpool Museum 6j2,(S]uy. 



S adult;, purchased from Mr. Gould^, January 16th_, 1833. 



2 adult^ presented by T. C. Eyton^ Esq. (no date) ; purchased from Mr. 



Gould, January 16th, 1833. 

 (S . Though regarded by Lord Derby as a female, this would appear to be 



a young male ; ^' for the' throat and breast are assuming the white 



of the male.^^ 



VOL. IT. 2 H 



Sex. Number. 



9 



