ALCIDE OSTEOLOGIA AVIUM. ALCINE 
Aca, Lin. 
Impennis, Lin. 
I have received a skeleton of this bird, which differs so much from the figure in the 
“ Zoological Transactions,” that I should almost think there must be two species of 
Great Auk. Mr. Ed. Gerrard, from whom I received my skeleton, gives this account 
of it : 
“You may perhaps like to know how I got these bones. They were got from a guano island 
off the North of Newfoundland. A vessel was sent there to see if the guano was worth anything 
for manure. It was found to be useless, owing to. the island being so washed by the sea that all 
the nature was washed out of the guano. While digging about, one of the gentlemen came across 
a quantity of bones, which he took to Mr. Woodward, of the British Museum, and they turned 
out to be the bones of the Great aie, OW! bought the whole, and after spending a great deal of 
time in sorting them over, I have been able to make out three tolerably perfect skeletons, the 
best of which I have given you the refusal of.” 
Pl. 27 ; details 27a. 
42 
