192 THE GANNET 



calls Picarina,"^" but in common speech the Soland Goose. 

 In the former of these places [i.e., the Bass] they very- 

 much abound, but in the latter [Ailsa] are found in fewer 

 numbers. Every year at the beginning of spring it returns 

 to us, from what part of the world except the south, no one 

 knows, and for two days in succession, on its first arrival, 

 keeps up an almost continuous flight round and round the 

 rock ; at which time no one goes out of the house. Soon 

 after it brings sticks, enough both for its own nests and 

 sufficient for the whole company of perhaps forty menf (the 

 castle on the rock itself is very well supplied) for the coming 

 year. At first they approach timidly, but so soon as they 

 shall have begun to build their nests they are not even 

 frightened by the loudest sounds of cannon shots. J 

 They lay, and hatch their eggs. They feed their young 

 most attentively with certain of the more delicate fishes 

 which they take from the sea, plunging into its depth with 

 great force. They take such delight in this work, and 

 are of such swift flight, that they are sometimes caught by 



* A comparison already suggested by Boece. 



f De Beaugue says a hundred and twenty men, see p. 18i. 



J The cannon of those days must have been very small. I can testify to 

 the alarming effect produced by a cannon now if fired from a steamer 

 imder their breeding cliffs, many hundreds of Gannets and other birds 

 immediately taking wing and in some cases in their haste knock their 

 eggs into the sea. 



