Show nature gave great auk no method of defense the great auk or gore gare fowl was the only pird bird in the northern hemisphere that could not fly in general appearance it resembled the penguin it was about as lar large margeas geas as a goose wits was black on its ta head and back and white beneath its ita legs were very far back so it stood almost upright having on land the appearance of sitting on its tall it ranged from the bay of biscay to greenland and was found in greatest numbers on certain rocky islands near iceland and newfoundland dia nd it was quite helpless hel pleis against gaan 1 sten enemies emles on land and was killed largely forthe for the sake of bf its feathers the last hist known example was killed in 1844 its eggs are highly valued by 1 collectors sometimes bringing as high as 1500 there are only about seventy examples known the great k was the biggest of a large fa family fanelly nilly in the species comprising guillemots guille or girres and puffins they breed in vast mixed communities on cliff ledges from greenland iceland and Spitz spitzbergen bergen to the st lawrence larrence maine and northwestern europe they lay a large blotched egg pointer at ai one end so it tends to roll tn in a circle thus not falling from i the ledge |