178 THE GANNET 



May 23rd, 1497, King James' predecessor, James IV., had 

 also visited the Bass Rock,* where doubtless he must have 

 seen the Gannets, which, as already stated, are alluded to 

 in his " accounts " as having been used for food.f 



5. In 1 526 Hector Boece (or Boethius) , Canon of Aberdeen, 

 gives in his famous " The Cosmographe and Discription of 

 Albion " a capital description of the Bass Rock, where " ar 

 incredible noumer of Soland Geis ; nocht unlik to thir fowlis, 

 that Plineus calls See Ernis [Sea Eagles] ; and are sene in na 

 part of Albion, bot in this Crag and Ailsay. At thair first 

 cumin quihilk is in the spring of the yeir, thay gadder sa 

 great noumer [gather so great number] of treis and stikkis 

 to big thair nestis, that the samin micht be sufficient fewell 

 to the keparis of the castell, howbeit thay had na uthir 

 provision ; and thocht the keparis tak fra thir fowlis thir 

 stikkis and treis, yit thay tak litil indingnation thairof, 

 but bringis haistelie agane als mony fra uthir placis quhair 

 thay fie. Thay nuris thair birdis [nourish their young 

 birds] with maist deligat fische ; for thocht thay have, ane 

 fische in thair mouth above the seis, quhair thay fie, yit 

 gif thay se ane uthir bettir, thay lat the first fal and doukis, 

 with ane fellon stoure [duck with a great stoop] in the see, 



* See " Accounts of The Lord High Treasui-er of Scotland," Vol. I., 

 preface cxlix. 



f pref. ccv. 



