[The Past and present of La Salle County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, general and local statistics, map of La Salle County, history of Illinois, Constitution of the United States, miscellaneous matters, etc, etc..
The great auk was 75 to 85 centimetres (30 to 33 in) tall and weighed around 5 kilograms (11 lb) The size of a medium penguin, it lived in the open ocean except for when it waddled ashore for breeding on just a few islands.
1. relatively large in size or extent; big. 2. relatively large in number; having many parts or members: a great assembly. 3. of relatively long duration: a great wait. 4. of larger size or more importance than others of its kind: the great auk. 5. extreme or more than usual: great worry. 6. of significant importance or consequence: a great decision.