194 THE GANNET 



and is about one in height. The sea is so natural to this bird, 

 that if through storm or other mishap it should alight on land 

 where it cannot see the sea, it is unable to rise again, as 

 though bereft of the use of its wings." 



Though not himself an eye-witness, it is evidently from 

 one acquainted with the Bass Rock, that Leslie's narrative 

 is, in part at least, derived. 



13. The Rev. Thomas M'Crie, in his " Bass Rock : Its 

 Civil and Ecclesiastical History," before referred to, gives 

 (p. 43) a long Ratification by Parliament* in 1592 of the 

 rights of the then owner of the Bass to all the Solan Geese 

 and other fowls frequenting the island, and forbidding under 

 penalties " all skeppairs and marinars of schipps or boittes 



and every personis quhatsumevir 



To slay and destroy the saidis Solane geiss, be 

 casting off neittis & hykis [hooks] with bait and burris 

 [hair or snares ? f]. To draw and allure the auld 

 solane geiss to the baittis quhairin the saidis personis 

 and marinaris ar, and then to take and slay the saidis 

 solane geiss, for na uther benefite or comoditie of 

 thame bot for thair fedderis [feathers] onlie ; ffor the saidis 

 solane geiss quhen thai depairt fra the said ile as they do 

 continwally anys in the zeir [once in the year] are auld 



* Acts Jac. VI. Ed. 1814, p. 614. (Reign of Elizabeth.) 



■j- " burris," probably from the French bourre = cow's hair (Jamieson). 



