Dr. R. 0. Cuuninghani on the Sulan Goose. 7 



origin of the name Solan is then given, and will be seen to 

 differ from that commonly adduced : — " Hi anseres nomine vul- 

 gari e Latino, ut puto, detorto, Solen vocantur, quod male pro- 

 nunciant Soland, id est, anniversarii : ad nos enim veniunt semel 

 unica solum vice in toto anno." The second passage relating 

 to the bird is to be found in the account of the islands of the 

 Firth of Forth (p. 90), and contains the following additional 

 particulars : — " Edinburgenses 25 sc. solvunt pro uno ansere. 

 ^ * colons subcinericei sunt juniores, adulti albi, oblongum 

 habcnt collum more gruis, rostrum acutissimum majoris digiti 

 longitudiuc, & flavo colore. ^ -x- Os, quod vulgo de Bril* ap- 

 pellamus, in aliis avibus separari ab osse pectoris potest, in hoc 

 vero minime, ita ut nulla vi avelli queat, ideo illi annexum, ne 

 in pontum desiliens, dum haleces scctatur, nimia sua violentia 

 collum rumpat. ^ -x- Multi tanien ex iis hoe modo interimuntur ; 

 Asserem nautae glabrum laivigant & dealbant, cique haleces an- 

 uectunt, quem asserem loco puppis cymbse alligant, & quem 

 Anseres videntes & arripere rostro conati, rostrum tam firmiter 

 asseri impingunt, ut illud evellere nequeant, sed capiantur, aut 

 potius se ipsos capiant." 



The Gannet is mentioned several times by Ray, in his ' Itine- 

 raries.^ He informs us that on the 19th August, 1661, on his 

 way to Leith he "viewed Tontallan Castle, and passed over to 

 the Basse Island, where we saw on the rocks innumerable of the 

 soland geese. The old ones are all over white, excepting the 

 pinion or hard feathers of their wings, which are black. The 

 upper part of the head and neck, in those that are old is of a 

 yellowish dun colour; they lay but one egg apiece, which is 

 white and not very large. They are very bold and sit in great 

 multitudes till one comes close up to them, because they are 

 not wont to be scared or disturbed. The young ones are es- 

 teemed a choice dish in Scotland, and sold very dear (Is. Sd. 

 plucked). We eat of them at Dunbar. They are in bigness 

 little inferior to an ordinary goose. The young one is upon 

 the back black, and speckled with little white spots, under the 

 breast and the belly gray. The beak is sharp-pointed, the 

 mouth very wide and large, the tongue very small, the eyes 

 * The I'lU-ciiliuii. 



