An Alca-bibliographical study of The English pilot : the history of its account of the great auk (Alcidae: Pinguinus impennis )

• Published in: Archives of Natural History
• Main Authors: Olson, Storrs L., Overstreet, Leslie, Lund, Judith N.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Edinburgh University Press 2007
• Subjects: Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous); History; Anthropology; Great auk; Pinguinus impennis
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/anh.2007.34.1.79

Bibliographical details in the biological literature concerning an account and figure of the great auk (Pinguinus impennis) that appeared in the navigational guide known as The English pilot: the fourth book are largely erroneous. The first edition of this work appeared in 1689, but the great auk account in question did not appear until the edition of 1716 and was carried through all later editions until the final one in 1794. By that time, the information was probably very much out of date due to the rapid overexploitation of the birds.