Pinguinus Impennis

"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—

I've heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me.
—Emily Dickinson, "Poem 254," ca. 1861

Related Reading:

• The Lost Bird Project
• Web Exclusive Audubon Magazine Article
• Great Auk Memorial On Fogo Island, Newfoundland - Articles One and Two
• Portland Riverfront Memorial
• Hope Is the Thing with Feathers: A Personal Chronicle of Vanished Birds by Christopher Cokinos

Yeah, that's a lot of reading but very informative - with photos. Be sure and check out all the Audubon article's images.

I've been trying to learn a few Icelandic words like:

Geirfugl = Great Auk
halló = hello
niðursoðinn sardína = tinned sardines
bjór = beer
einn bjór þóknast = one beer please
skál = cheers
hvar er klósettið? = where is the toilet?

but that's not going so well...

Does the binomial nomenclature for Great Auk seem dirty?
Nevermind.

Next Day