spectacled or great auk. giant pengXtin ( Aptenodytes pa tag on ica). 
bearing some resemblance to the back of a razor-blade. It is very similar in 
habits and size to the following species. 
The Little Auk, or Razor Bird ( Alle alle ), is called by the greatest variety 
of names— sea dove , sea pigeon , rotge , for example. Its habitat is in the Arctic 
Atlantic, and it is specially abundant about Spitzbergen. In the frost-made clefts 
and cavelets of the rocks the little auk lays its eggs and raises its family. Its 
bill, as the illustration on page 412 shows, is altogether unique. The young 
410 
THE LIVING WORLD. 
The Spectacled Auk, or Great Auk (Alca impennis), belongs to northern¬ 
most Europe. When it is in the water it is' almost impossible to pursue it 
quickly enough to get within shooting range, but like the albatross it can be 
caught with a hook. It is rapidly becoming extinct and, in spite of the 
extremely high price which either the bird or its eggs command, the museums 
of the world contain but thirty-four birds, and but forty-two eggs. Collections 
of birds’ eggs are quite important to naturalists, but the objects sought by The 
Living World forbid any discussion of so large a theme. The spectacled auk 
is black above and white 
below; around and below 
the eyes are white markings 
(which give the auk its popu¬ 
lar name) and the small 
wings or flippers are bordered 
with white on the upper arm. 
The Razor-Bill (A lea 
tarda ) has its habitat in the 
Arctic sea, and is so called 
on account of its mandible 
