Sales at the Great Auction Rooms 
38, King Street, Covent Garden, London. 
MOUNTED SPECIMEN I. (Sale number one.) 
A mounted specimen of the Great Auk, on May 6th, 1818. 
At the sale of the contents of *Mr. Edward Donovan’s Museum- 
known as the “London Museum and Institute of Natural History,” 
Mr. Kiug being the auctioneer. The sale lasted from April 80th to 
May 6th, the bird coming to the hammer on the latter date, being 
described in the sale catalogue as : 
Bird I. - “Lot 6.494. GliEAT AUK (Aka impennis). 
Extremely rare, in the most remote 
Scottish islands: this is a British specimen, 
and the original bird described by 
Pennant, Dr. Latham, and all later 
authors.” 
No record is given either of price obtained, or name of purchaser, 
in Professor Newton’s sale catalogue, the only one I have been able to 
get access to, and the late Professor in his note book on the 
“ Garefowl,” writes of this specimen “I know not at present what 
became of it.” It seems to have completely disappeared, and I should 
be glad to get some further trace of it. 
This is the bird which was obtained by Mr. Donovan at the sale of 
the contents of the Leverian Museum, in the Museum Building, on 
May 5th, 1806, when it formed Lot 47 in the sale catalogue (c/. Sales 
otherwise than at Stevens’ Rooms, p. 30). Donovan" figures this 
specimen in his British Birds, PI. CCXLIII ., and the letterpress, which 
is unpaged, states that “ Our figure of this scarce and interesting bird 
is copied from the well-known specimen originally in the collection of 
Sir Ashton Lever, and which was obtained by purchase for our Museum 
at a price not very inconsiderable,” a foot-note recording “Ten guineas 
at the public auction.” 
* Mr. Donovan in the preface to his sale catalogue states that “The formation of 
this Museum has been the labour of nearly thirty years, the proprietor 
liaving commenced his course of collecting before the year 1788. The 
formation of the Establishment, including every expense attendant, has 
cost the proprietor upwards of £15,000 sterling.” 
