180 CATALOGUE OE BIEDS. 



the country, and sold for what they will fetch, while a 

 hundred or two are cooked at Canty Bay, and eagerly 

 bought up by the farm labourers of the district for a 

 shilling each. 



The fat that comes out of the inside of the birds, 

 when cleaned, is boiled down into oil, and sold for from 

 three to four shillings the gallon ; and, in addition to 

 this, the feathers realise about fifteen or sixteen shil- 

 lings a stone. These are used for making beds, but 

 have to go through some powerful baking process in 

 order to remove the smell of the guano which clings to 

 them. A roast goose* appears to be a favourite dish 

 with some of the visitors at North Ber\vick, but the 

 stink of the oil and the cooking at Canty Bay set me 

 for ever against such a greasy delicacy. 



The specimens in the case were obtained at the Bass 

 Eock, in the Firth of Forth, during the summer of 

 1874. 



GANNET.— (Immature.) 



Case 154. 



The present case shows the G-annets in the interme- 

 diate stages between the nestling and the mature bird. 

 Though the men in charge of the Bass Piock always 

 declare that the Geese are five years old before they 

 assume the full plumage, I think there can be but 

 little doubt that it is attained in the third year. 



From having myself kept these birds in captivity 

 for the last two years, I can already perceive that the 

 stage that they describe as two years old is, in reality, 



* In this district a Gannct is always termed a Goose. 



