THE BASS ROCK 177 



table, between September 1st, 1511, and August 6th, 1512, 

 and in these accounts Mr. Anderson finds the four following 

 references to Solan Geese : — 



On 1 1th September, 1511, there was bought for the household 

 (the King being absent at sea) inter alia " 1 sollane," — price de- 

 faced; — on 14th September," ij sollanisij s "; on 15th September, 

 " ij soUanis ij s " ; on 22nd September, " ij sollanis ij s." 



In the Household Books of James V. of Scotland 

 (Proc. Bannatyne Club, LIV., app. 3, 23) there occurs 

 amongst other entries, — such as of moorfowls, partridges, 

 plovers, herons, cranes, dotterel, redshanks, larks, etc. — 

 " ij porcelli ij auce solares* xlvj pultre [chickens] " served on 

 September 4th, 1525, to the King at Edinburgh ; and 

 again we have on August 17th, 1529, the entry " Empt' vj 

 auce solares " which birds were served at Falkland [Palace], 

 a favourite hunting seat in Fife. This is about the date 

 at which the young Gannets would have been ripe for eating, 

 and the editor is no doubt right in translating "aucef solares" 

 Soland Geese {I.e., xix.). Probably they had been procured 

 from the Bass Rock, which was not far from Edinburgh, — 

 or from Falkland Palace, — to serve as a royal dish. On 



* Perhaps a misreading for " solaiies." 



f Professor Newton explains that " auce " stands for Aucce, the pku'al of 

 Auca, which he adds was a common mediaeval Latin word for Goose. See 

 " Promptorium Parvulorum," Way's Ed"- p. 204. In these Accounts 

 " Auca " is applied to six kinds of birds. 



N 



