I possess, was obtained from Mr. Henry Havell,; brother of
my engraver, who, when on his passage from New York to
England, hooked a Great Auk on the banks of Newfoundland,
in extremely boisterous Weather. On being hauled off
board it was left at liberty on the deck. It;'walked- very
awkwardly, often tumbling over ; bit every one within reach
of its powerful bill, and refused food*of all kinds. After
continuing several days on; board it was restored to its proper
-element. When I was at Labrador, many of thé fishermeff
assured me that the Penguin, as they name this bird, breeds
on a low* rocky island to the #outh. east of Newfoundland,
where they: destroy great numbers of the young for bait ; but
as this intelligence came ito me when the Season was-too far
advanced, I had no opportunity of ascertaining its accuracy.
In Newfoundland, however, I .received similar information
from several individuals. An old gunner residing o_n Chelsea:
Beach, near: Boston, told *ine. .thatTier well remeötfeéréd-
the time when the Penguins were plentiful; about Nahan't,'
and some other islands in thêibay.”
In summer-plumage the bilk is^black, yerynstron-g, Gom-
pressed.,;sand marked with ’ several Tâterai- furrows* ; ’ the irides
réddisïffbrown ; between the beak and the eyeianoval patch
of white ; head, chih^ and Throat,- .hinoL, ffebk, back, wings,*
and tail black ; the ends ? of thé secondary wing-feathers
white ; breast, and. all the under surfaeeef-thehody* -white
legs, toes, and their membranes black. The whole length
of the bird thirty-two inches ; the wing from the wrist to? the
end of the longest, quill-feather seven inches ; of the longest
feather alone but four inches and one-quarter.
Dr. Fleming’s specimen obtained in winter, had the chin,
throat, and front of the neck white. Mr. Fox, in* reference
to the specimen in the-Newcastle Museum, s a y s ,Our bird
is, apparently a young one, the neck black, spotted, or
mottled with white; upper mandible of the bill with one
large sulcus at the base, none at the tip.”
NATATORES PELECAN1DÆ.
TH E COMMON CORMORANT.
'Peleednus The 'Common Corvordnt, Penn? Bfit. Zool.; vol. 8. p. 281.
mG0bOf^i * )t . „ MoN^ijQrnith. Diet* ,
r . carbo, ,, . . Cormorant,. Bewick, Brit, Birds, vol. ii. p. 397.
'Crested ,,' ,, - ,, ",, „ 403.
»Phalacrocorax ,, . Common’ ,, \ Fl e m . Brit. An. p. 117.
,, ,, ,, „ Selby, Brit. Ornith. vol.ii. p. 446.
. - ,, ,, ,, ,, r Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 262.
p f, f ,* 1 " Gotffp, Birds of Europe/ pt. ix.
Carlo cormoranus, ' Grand Cormoran, T emm. Man. d’Ornitb.jvol.ii.p.894.
P hapackocorax. . Genmc\Cbaracters.—‘BiU. moderate, or long, straight,
compressed, culmen rounded ; upper mandible very much curved at the point,
hooked,; the base connected with a membrane which extends to the throat.