AND ITS EGG, IN NORWICH MUSEUM. 215 
having been kept from the light with great judgment, the shell 
is well preserved, and singularly little faded. Many of the 
dark spots upon it are exceedingly handsome, and some of 
the blotches of brown shade off with great delicacy into 
lighter ones. 
.The Stuffed Great Auk which has long been the pride of our 
Museum, was formerly the property of Mr. Edward Lombe 
of Melton, near Norwich, whose daughter, Mrs. E. P. Clarke, 
presented it in 1873 to the Museum. Mr. Lombe obtained 
it from Mr. Benjamin Leadbeater, but in what year is not 
known, but in any case it was prior to 1822, which we are 
sure of, because John Hunt says in his ‘ British Birds,’ 
of which the third volume published at Norwich bears 1822 as 
its date, that his drawing was made from it whilst in Mr. 
Lombe’s possession. Leadbeater was a bird-stuffer in Brewer 
Street, Golden Square, a Fellow of the Linnean Society, and 
a man of considerable knowledge. It is probable that other 
Great Auks passed through his hands : he is known to have 
possessed at least one egg also.* 
Although the Greak Auk was a well-known inhabitant of 
certain islands on the east coast of Canada, Iceland has 
furnished practically all the stuffed skins now existing in 
collections. Moreover, it was in Iceland that they held their 
ground longest, in spite of much unjustifiable persecution, 
the last known to have been killed there being two obtained 
in June, 1844, on Eldey Island. These were sent to Copen- 
hagen, where by the kindness of Professor Winge, I have had 
an opportunity of seeing preparations of their bodies in spirit, 
consisting of two hearts, the lungs, the windpipe, tongue, etc. 
The number of Great Auk’s skins at present in existence is 
believed to reach to eighty, and considering the rough way 
in which most of them were prepared, they are still in wonder- 
ful preservation. Our bird has probably been stuffed seventy- 
five years, yet it looks as fresh as if it had only been done 
seven : indeed, there can hardly be a finer example extant 
than that of which the City of Norwich is the fortunate 
possessor. 
* ‘Ootheca Wolleyana,' vol. ii. p. 365 . 
