| Show nature gave great auk no method of defens defense a tiie the great auk or gare fowl was the only bird in the northern hemisphere that could not fly in general appearance it resembled the penguin it was about as large as a goose was black on its head and bachand back bac kand and chiv whit beneath its 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 ady to greenland and was waa found in grea greatest test numbers on certain rocky islands near iceland and newfoundland it was quite helpless against enemies on land and was killed largely for the sake eake of its feathers the last known example was killed in 1844 its eggs are highly valued by collectors sometimes bringing as high as 1500 there are only about seventy exam plea pies known the great auk was the biggest of a large family in the species comprising guillemo guillemots guille gull lemo ts or burres and puffins they breed in vast mixed communities on cliff ledges from greenland iceland and SItz bergen to the st lawrence maine and northwestern europe they lay a large blotched egg pointed at one end so BO it tends to roll in a circle thus not falling from the ledge |
