Richard Collins: A joy to learn about extinct and 'resurrected' creatures
Ireland's last Great Auk which resides in the Zoology Museum in Trinity. Extinct since 1844 Great Auks are only preserved in a handful of museums across the globe. Picture: TCD
‘Ireland’s Last Great Auk, Extinct 1844 — donated by Dr Robert Burkitt’ reads an inscription on a display case in Trinity College Dublin’s zoological museum. The large flightless seabird is the institution’s most popular exhibit.
, just published, describes the celebrated creature’s demise. The book’s author, Dr Martyn Linnie, is the Museum’s curator. He tells us that Burkitt did not realise at the time just how valuable this now priceless exhibit would become. His nose was out of joint so, to bury the hatchet, the College awarded him an annual ‘Great Auk Pension’ of £50 — a considerable sum at the time. Such colourful asides make this a lively and fascinating book.
