470 
ALCADiE. 
of the colouring of the eggs, although probably not in the 
ground-colour, as in those of the guillemots. Mr. Proctor 
sought for the Great Auk, but without success, in Ice¬ 
land ; and the captains of the whaling vessels, some of 
whom know birds well, have never seen it on the coast 
of Greenland. 
The eggs, as well as the birds, are becoming so rare 
and precious, that I have thought it worth while to men¬ 
tion all those which are known to me in the collections 
of this country.—Mr. Wilmot has had the singular good 
fortune to be the possessor of no less than three : two of 
these are now in his valuable collection, the third was 
generously presented by him to Mr. Labrey, of Man¬ 
chester. There are two eggs in the British Museum, two 
in the collection of Lord Garvagh ; and Mr. Hancock, 
Mr. Salmon, Mr. Scales, the Bev. H. B. Tristram, Mr. 
Tuke, Mr. Walter, and Mr. Wolley, have each one. 
The most beautiful egg which I have seen, is that now 
figured, from the collection of Mr. Wilmot, which was 
purchased by my friend a few years ago, from Mr. Lead- 
beater, at the cost of five pounds, a price which we both 
of us thought at the time very extravagant, little dream¬ 
ing that we should live to see the day when six times as 
much would be paid for one of them. 
