GREAT AUK. 
49 
Although entirely unable to fly, the Great Auk is gifted 
with powers of swimming on and below the surface of the 
water at an incredible speed, fully proving the care of 
Providence in providing for the safety of its creatures. 
Although the bird in question lives in retired places, it 
is not shy or easily alarmed ; but when surprised on land 
it makes no attempt to escape, and may either be taken 
alive or knocked down with a stick. Sometimes, however, 
it defends itself with its powerful beak, by biting or pinching 
very severely. 
The food of the Great Auk is said to consist in flsh of 
the size of herrings ; little is, however, known on this subject, 
but we may be quite sure that the strength, size, and form of 
its beak, are not given to this bird for feeding on soft sub¬ 
stances only. 
In the month of June the female deposits her solitary 
egg on the bare ground, and both birds sit on it by turns. 
The Great Auk measures thirty-two inches in length ; 
the beak from the forehead, three inches and a half; tarsus, 
two inches five lines; the wing, from the carpal joint to the 
top, seven inches. 
The plumage in summer is as follows: the head, neck, 
and all the upper parts black, with the exception of an oval 
white patch between the eye and the beak, and the white 
tips of the secondary feathers of the wings. The under 
plumage is entirely white ; the eyes are dusky brown ; the 
beak, which is much grooved, and the legs and feet are 
black. 
In the winter, the cheeks, throat, forepart and sides of 
the neck are white. 
The egg figured 283 is that of the Great Auk. 
