f 316 )
G R E A T AUK.
ALCA IMVKXXIS, LINN,
PLATE CCOXl.I. Aijuit, ' '
T H ® OIILV authentic account of to occurrence 8f this bird 011 our
coast that I possess, "was obtained from Mr HENBY HAVELL, brother
of my Kngravcr, who, when on his paMfe'tfroin Mew York to England,
hooked a Groat Auk'ttn the banks of Newfoundland, in extremely
boisterous weather. On being:'hauled on board, it was left at liberty
on the dock. It walked very awkwardly, often turtthlteg wet-; hit
everyone within roach of its powerful bill, a i d refused food of all kinds.
After continuing several days on board, 44 Was restored to its proper
element»
When I was in Labrador, many of the fishsermen assured me that
the " Pimgum," as they name this bird, breeds on a low rocky island
to the south-east of Newfoundland, where they destroy great numbers
of the young for bai t ; but as Shis intelligence came tu me when the
season was Wo far advanced, I had no opportunity of ascertaining its
accuracy. In Newfoundland, however, I rettiived similar information
from several individual» An old gunner residing on (ihelsea Beach,
near Boston, told mo that lie well-remembered the time when the Penguins
were plentiful about Nahant and some other islands in the Bay.
The egg is very large, measuring five inches: in length, and three
in if|i, greatest breadth. In form it resembles that: :of the Common
Guillemot; the shell is thick and rather rough to the touch; its colour
yellowish-white, with long irregular linos and blotches of brownishblack,
more numerous at the larger end.
ALCA IMPENNIS, Limn. Syst. Nat. vol. i, p. 210.—Lath. Ind. Oraith. vol. ii. p. 791-.
GREAT AUK, Nuttall, Manual, v'OL! ii. p. 553.
Adult ill Summer. Plate CCCX LI. Figs. 1, 2.
Bill as long as the head, feathered as far as the nostrils, beyond
which it is very high, exceedingly compressed, tapering, and slightly
G R E A T AUK.
317
decimate. , Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight for an inch
and a quarter, then declinate and decurvate to the end, the ridge very
broad,er at the base ; the sides nearly flat, with a basal ridge
succeeded^ a deep groove, thei - a tegiflat Spacfe, succeeded by eight
obliqu%guj®^ridges, the edges'sharp toward the end, the tip decurvecLand
obtuse marginal, linear, short, pervious, but .concealed
by the feathers. I.ower'mandible with the angle long, the sides
extremely narrow ami linear lor half the» length, the horny part not
being extended over the bone, which is. covered with feathers, afterwards
deep, ami compressed, with the dorsal line at first convex, ton
ascending and coticav.e ,to the end, the sides flat, with about ten transverse!
ridges,,th.;,edg«s.sUai-p, the tip dellected. •. '! '
Head,large, oblong, .Ulteriorly narrowed,. Eyes rather small. Neck
short ajul thick. Body ctanpaet and full. Wings extremely small, but
perfectly formed, placcd far behind, short, very strong; tarsus
short, compressed, anteriorly, scutellato, laterally covered with angular
scales,, those »on to hind part Wry small. Hind toe wanting; third
tfte longest, outer nearly as. long, inner much shorter, lateral toes marginate,
all with numerous scutella and several rows of angular scales
above,, and connected by reticulated webs. Claws rather small, narrow,
arched, convex above, and obtuse.
Plumage<jelQSe< ¡blended, very, soft, on to head and neck short and
velvety. Wings, diminutive, much pointed;. the primaries tapering
ty an acute point, the first .longest, the, rest rapidly graduated, their
coverts long; secondaries short and broad, scarcely longer than their
coverts. Tail,short, pointed, offourtem feathers.
Bill, black, with the grooves between the transverse ridges whit®..
Iris hazel. Kget and claws black. Fore part of the neck below, and
all t i e lower parts white,, of which colour also is a large oblong patch
before each eye, and to tips of the. .secondary quill»: the rest black,
to throat arid sides of to neck tinged with chocolate-brown, the wings
with greyish-brown, the head, hind neck, and back glossed with olivegreen.
,. Length to end of tail 29 inches, to «id of wings 23J, to end of
claws 31£, to carpal joint 18J; extent of wings 27*; wing from flexure
7 | ; tail 2.$, bill along the ridge 3J, along the edge of lower mandible
4i, greatest depth of upper mandible 1, depth of lower f ; width of
gape ; tpsus 2; middle toe 21, its claw | 5 outer toe 2f ; its claw
1»; inner toe 2i. its Haw 60