THE BASS ROCK 173 



of the Bass Gannets, which has been preserved to us, is to be 

 found in Major's " History of Great Britain." He was 

 born in 1469 at Gleghornie, now spelled Glegharnie — a small 

 hamlet, situated a few miles only from the Bass Rock. This 

 work is entitled : — 



" Historia Majoris Britannise," per Joannem Majorem, 



1521.* 



" Prope Glegornum in Oceano ad duas leucas est rupes 

 Bassensis, in qua est arx inexpugnabilis circa quam 

 magnarum anatum (quas Sollendas vocant) de piscibus 

 viventium est mira multitudo, quae cum anatibus ferinis 

 communibus aut domesticis non sunt eadem in specie 

 specialissima : sed quia eis in colore & figura persimiles 

 sunt, nomine communi anatum congaudent, sed discriminis 

 causa sollendae vocantur. Hae anates, aut hi anseres, in 

 vere turmatim a meridie ad rupem de Bas quotannis 

 veniunt, & rupem duobus vel tribus diebus circumvolitant, 

 quo in tempore rupem inhabitantes nullum tumultum 

 faciunt : tunc nidificare incipiunt, & tota sestate manent, 

 & piscibus vivunt, & incolse rupis piscibus ab illis captis 

 pascuntur. Ascendunt namque illarum nidos, & ad libitum 

 pisces capiunt. In capiendis f)iscibus mirabilis est hujus avis 

 industria. In fundo maris lynceis oculis piscem contempla- 

 tur, contra quem se prsecipitat, sicut contra ardeam Nisus, 

 quern protinus ore & ungulis extrahit : et si a rupe aliquo 

 alio inter vallo distet, alio pisce meliore viso priorem 

 elabi permittit, quatinus posterius visum capiat ; & sic 

 semper recentissimos habent pisces in tota sestate in rupe. 



* Editio nova, Edinburgh, pp. 22-23, by John Major (or Mair, cf. " Diet. 

 Nat. Biography," XXXV., p. 386), MDCCXL. In the first edition there 

 are many contractions. Mr. J. E. Harting seems to hav'e been the first to 

 draw attention to tliis passage (" Handbook of British Birds," new 

 edition, p. 28<i) ; neither Professor Fleming nor Professor Cinmingham 

 refers to it. The book was lent to me l)v ]\Ir. H. G. Aldis. 



