The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-10-23
EGGS OF THE GREAT AUX.
Precious Relics OF Creature That n
Being FIttest Did Not Survive.

In 1888 an egg of the great aux was
sold for 16O guineas. whilst more re-
Gently an egg of the same species
fetched f225; and although these may
seem enormous sums to give for
relic. the transactions are not without
others to keep them in countenance.
Only few years ago two eggs of the
same kind fetched 100 and 102 guineas
respectively. while the egg first named
realized little over twenty years ago
f33 los. At that time it was discov-
cred, together with four others. packed
away in dust-covered box in the
museum of the Royal College of Sur
geons, these being sold in 1865. From
this it would seem that in the ornitho-
logical market the complete shell of a
great auk's egg is worth nearly f170.
and broken one only f70 less. 1t
will be seen that the purchase of one
of these may be a good Investment.
and what a mine of wealth great aux
that was a good layer might prove to
his fortunate possesSor can only be
conjectured. At the present time the
number of eggs of this species known
to exist is sixty-six--twenty-fiv of
which are in museums and forty-one in
private collections; of the total mum Der
forty-three are retained in Great
Britain.
When a bird becomes so rare that
the individual remains can be counted.
the same may be taken to be practically
extinct as n species. The great aux
has pursued a policy of extinction for
the past two or three centuries, until
now. like the mighty moa and the do
do. it has ceased to exist. The great
aux. or garefowl. was one of those
birds which. from long disuse. had lost
at once the power of flight and preser-
walton. 1t was great stumbling bird,
as large as goose, and ill-adapted to
travel on land. How these things told
against it may be inferred from the
story of one Captaiue Richard Whit
bourne, who, writing of the discovery
of Newfoundland in 1920. says that
among the abundant water fowl of
these parts are pengulns (great auks)
las bEge rs geese, and fye not. for
they have but a short wing. and they
multiply so infinitely. upon certain
fiat island. that men drive them from
thence upon Il board. into their boats
by hundreds at II time"
This process of extinction went on in
Iceland and elsewhere until about the
middle of the present centtsy hardly
any birds remained. The Icelanders
robbed the auks of their eggs for do
nestle use. and upon one occasion the
crew of Il Britis', prvatcer remained
upon one Of the Skerries all day killing
many birds and treading down their
eggs and Young. This went on until
the last birds were taken. and there is
hut the faintest hope that it may yet
linger on in the iharcessihe north.
Although awkward aud travelling with
the greatest difficulty an land. the
great aux WAS perfectly at home in the
water. aud travelled both upnn aud un-
der the surface with the rspbli,v of a
fish. The time of haunting the land
was during the breeding season. in
early summer. AT this period ne aux
resortcd 10 the rocks in the dark
recesses of which the females deposited
one large egg-large even for The size
of the bird. These had Il whiiish-green
ground. streaked with brown, and
nearly five inches in length.