The Delta independent., 1888-07-10
OUR GEOLOGICAL GARDEN.

How tho AUX, Once SO Plentiful In
terminated.
The form of the aux is familiar to all
who have read illustrated accounts of
early voyages to Greenland. 1t was
the penguin of t he north Atlantic. 1t
had squatty goo se-shaped body. and
was from twenty ght to thirty inches
long on the average. 1t had wings.
however, that were only between five
and six inches long. and it was there
fore incapable of flight. 1t is pictured
in the old sea stories as sitting up SOL
emn and digniiied in ranks along
the sand and on the bleakest and most
barren coasts as the sailors approached
tile land in boats. It was not easily
fir ightened by the approach of man.
who was apparently its sole enemy.
When disturbed it waddled away
about as fast as man would walk,
taking very short steps but taking
them rapidly On account of its gait
it was called the wobble in some of the
early books. such as the work of John
Josselyn, Gent, on New England
Rarities." printed in 1872. Not that
the bird was rarity then; on the con-
trary,it was seen in great numbers as
far south on the New England coast as
the catching center of the United
States-Boston.
At that time and for hundreds OF
years later it was the custom of many
of the fishermen frequenting the banks
of Newfoundland. particularly the
French, to victual their vessels with
flesh of the aux, killing and sailing
Il 1o,k Co. xl,<,
entire cruise. Their method of taking
the birds was the simplest possible.
The ships boats were rowed into some
quiet cove frequented by the auks. and
moored few feet from the land.
Then planks were laid from the beach
or rocks to the gunwales of the boat
and the auks were driven on board in
single file until the boats were loaded.
A man with club knocked them on
the head as they reached the boat, and
dumped them under the thwarts. The
aux seldom offered any resistance, but
occasionally it would snap at man
with its stout bill. and would indict
very painful wounds. In such case,
the old accounts say. the sailors skin
ned the bird alive out of revenge.
When driving the birds on the boats
it was necessary to station u man with
club on each side of the gangplanks
to keep them from dropping offinto the
water. Once atlo at the awkward waddle
becomes the swiftest and most grace
full of motions. No other water fowl
could approach the wonderful speed
of the aux on the water; indeed, 1t
could swim as rapidly rs some of the
more numbering birds could fly.
Although on account of its tishy food
it was somewhat oily when in good
condition, it was nevertheless SO much
esteemed by the sailors that its numbers
diminished continually from the time
the banks of Newfoundland began
to be much frequented 50 that by the
beginning of the nineteenth century it
was no longer hunted for food. So few
were TO be had that they were not
worth the time it required to take them.
However. in. the year 1907. Britis b
privateer varied its occupations OF pur-
suing French merchant vessels and i'm
pressing Yankee sailors by going to the
islands of Iceland for a supply Of fresh
aux meat Great numbers of the birds
were killed. many being left dead that
could not be removed because tho ship
had all she could use. Three years
later the people off the FARGO islands,
DclnS tnTedtent'u Wy starNatlou on ac-
count of failure OF the fisheries, yis-
tied Iceland and about completed the
destruction begun by the privateer.
That the aux never recovered from
these blows. oven on tho coasts best
fitted for its maint enance, was duo to
the fact that the aux laid but one egg
q year. 1t made no nest but deposit.
ed the egg on the bare rock. 1t was
an astonishingly large egg. averaging
nearly five by three inches in length
and diameter. 1t was shaped much
like big California pear. bcing very
small at one end, n popularity Of all
birds' eggs that they were laid in ex-
posed places as this was. Being small
at ono end it would, when the wind
moved it. simply roll around in the arc
of q very small circle. 1t wasof creamy
white color, irregularly marked with
hrown and hlack natclles.-MeU York