HISTORICAL PREFACE xxvii. 



1911, p. 76). For more information as to the etymology 

 of the word Solan, see Skeat's " Concise Etymological 

 Dictionary of the English Language " (1901) and the Oxford 

 "English [Murray's] Dictionary" (1913), for an advance 

 copy of which [art. Solan) I am indebted to Mr. W. A. 

 Craigie. Probabty the earliest use of " Solan " is to be 

 met with in the " Cupar Codex " {i.e., dr. 1447) b}^ Abbot 

 Bower {see p. 171), and about the same time the word 

 occurs in the " Buke of the Howlat [i.e., Owlet]," by Sir 

 R. Holland {see p. 27), a curious poem which brings in 

 the names of birds. EarUer than this no instance has been 

 met with, but the word Solan is probably much older 

 than the fifteenth century. 



In the Faeroes " Sule " has been a household word ever 

 since a certain sorcerer lived who, it is affirmed, presented 

 this valuable bird to the inhabitants of Myggenaes ! ! * 

 Some of these legends are of great antiquity, and this one 

 may be of the fifteenth century ; in Iceland the name 

 Sula goes back as far as that {see p. 271). 



In Norw^ay Sule or Sula is also a name of considerable 

 standing. I learnt from the late Professor Collett that Sula 

 is used in Ign. Ramus 's " Norviges Beskrivelse " (1715), and 

 in 1753 we again meet with " Hav-Sule " in Erich Pontop- 

 pidan's " Norviges Natural Historic." In Denmark the 

 Gannet is also known as the " Havsula." 



A word of explanation seems necessary as to why I have 

 thought it best to adhere to the name of Gannet in preference 

 to Solan Goose throughout this book. It has been employed 



* " The Islands and Inhabitants of Foeroe," by L. Jacobron Debes, 

 167 3, englished by J. S[terpin] l(i7(5 (p. 183). 



