Di". R. 0. Cunningham on the Solan Goose. 3 



publication of Turner's work, commences his description of the 

 Solan Goose with a quotation from that author, and then goes 

 on to state that he has learned from an erudite Scotchman that 

 these geese, called Solan Geese, exceed the domestic geese in 

 length, but are not so broad ; that they lay their eggs on rocks 

 and cover them with one foot during the process of incubation, 

 whence, pei'chance, the origin of the name Soland, " a solea, id 

 est planta pedis;" and that the old birds feed their young with 

 fish, in the selection of which they evince considerable discrimi- 

 nation, for, if after they have caught one fish, they see another 

 which they regard as superior to it, they reject the first and 

 secure it. He then concludes by quoting the passage from 

 Hector Boece, of which we have shortly before spoken. In the 

 same year in which Gesner's work was published, Olaus Magnus 

 issued his ' Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus'* ; and in it 

 is contained an account of the bird, which, though it does differ 

 very materially from those of previous authors, nevertheless 

 provides us with a few additional particulars regarding its habits, 

 which I subjoin : — " Hse anates in vere turmatim a Meridie in 

 rupem de Bass quotannis veniunt, & rupem duobus, vel tribus 

 diebus circumuolitant : quo in tempore rupem inhabitantes, nul- 

 lum tumultum faciunt. Tunc nidificare incipiunt, & tota sestate 

 manent, ac piscibus viuunt ; & incolae rupis, piscibus ab illis 

 captis pascuntur. Ascendunt enim illarum nidos, vt superius 

 de pullis aquilse dictum est, & ad libitum pisces acceptant. In 

 capiendis autem piscibus mirabilis est huius auis industria. In 

 fundo maris lynceis oculis piscem contemplatur : contra quem 

 se prsecipitat, sicuti contra ardeam nisus : quem protiuus ore et 

 vngulis extrahit, ^ -sf luniores anates, aut anserculos in terra 

 vicina vendunt. * ■x- In fine autumni rupem triduo circuuolant 

 & postea agminatim ad partes Meridionales pro tota hyeme 

 auolant, vt illic viuant in sestate : quia quando nobis est hyems, 

 Meridionalibus est sestas. Diutissime hse anates viuunt : quod 

 per quasdam signatas incolse perpenderunt. Triginta, aut qua- 

 draginta in rupe bellatoves harum auium fructus alit, & domino 

 rupis nonnihil vectigalis penditur." 



* Olaus Magiius, Historia de gentibus septentrioDalibus. Roma?, 1555. 

 Lib. XIX. de avibus, Cap. IX. — De mirabUi generatione Anatum Scotise. 



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