4 Dr. R. O. Cunningham on the Solan Goose. 



The Gannet is also briefly noticed by Dr. John Caius, in his 

 tract, ' de rariorum animalium atque stirpium historia/ which 

 was pubHshed in 1570. In speaking of the Anser Brendinus, 

 he says : "Non est ergo Scotorum Bassanus anser, qui in Basse 

 Scotorum Insula nidum ponit atq; oua, a qua nomen habet. 

 In banc insula rupem existentem, nee in summo quantam 

 Miluus oberret (vt Poeta dixit) sed exiguam, venturi stato 

 anui tempore anseres, quo prius speculatu, qua obseruatione 

 prsemissis nuntijs vtantur qukm ingrediuntur : quo anni tempore 

 hoc faciant, qua solitudine insulse, concludentibus se incolis ad 

 aliquot dies, donee se firmauerint anseres, ne abigant, quanta 

 multitudine atq; densitate inuolent, sic vt in serenitate solem 

 adimant, quot pisces aiferant, quot oua pariant, & quantos 

 fructus in annos ex eis anserumq; plumis atqj oleo percipiant insu- 

 lani (nam Pupinorum pinguedinem babeut atq; gustCi) longum 

 esset recensere." Ulysses Aldrovandus devotes a chapter of his 

 * Ornithologia '* to the " Bass or Scottish Goose;" but he does 

 not favour us with any original remarks on the subject, con- 

 tenting himself by merely quoting the observations of Gesner 

 and Boece. 



The next account of the bird, in so far as I am aware, is that 

 given by Clusius, in the 'Auctarium' to his ' Exoticorum 

 Libri'tj and entitled "Sula Hoieri." He states that the speci- 

 men from which it was taken was obtained in the year 1605, in 

 the Fseroe isles, where it is called " Sula," and that he himself is 

 doubtful whether it ought to be classed among the Gulls or the 

 Geese, but that the friendly reader can settle the point to his 

 own satisfaction. His description of the dimensions and plumage, 

 which will be seen to be tolerably correct, is as follows : " Ab 

 imo collo ad ouropygium usque ducta per dorsum mensura 

 pedem Romanum longa erat; h capitis vertice ad dorsum usque, 

 uncias undecim, colli ambitus totidem crassus erat ; rostri, 

 quod valde mucronatum & firmum habebat, longitudo, uncise 

 quinque cum semisse : rostri pars crassior, & quae circa oculos, 



* Ulyssis Aldrovandi OmitliologifB tomus tertius ac postremus. Lib. 

 XIX. Cap. XX.— De Ansere Bassano sive Scotico (p. 162). 



t Caroli Clusii Atrebatis Exoticorum Libri decern. (Antwerp) 1605 

 <p. 367). 



