206 THE GANNET 



scared or disturbed. The young ones are esteemed a choice 

 dish in Scotland, and sold very dear (Is. 8d. plucked). We 

 eat of them at Dunbar [where Ray had been staying the day 

 before]. They are in bigness little inferior to an ordinary 

 goose. The young one is upon the back black, and speckled 

 with little white spots, under the breast and the belly grey. 

 The beak is sharp-pointed, the mouth very wide and large, the 

 tongue very small, the eyes great, the foot hath four toes 

 webbed together. It feeds upon mackrel and herring, 

 and the flesh of the young one smells and tastes strong of 

 these fish. The other birds which nestle in the Basse are 

 these : the scout [Razorbill*], which is double ribbed ; 

 the cattiwake [Kittiwake Gull], in English, cormorant, 

 the scart [Shag], and a bird called the turtle-dove, 

 whole-footed, and the feet red [Black Guillemot]. There 

 are verses which contain the names of these birds among 

 the vulgar, two whereof are : — 



" The scout, the scart, the cattiwake. 



The Soland goose sits on the lack,t 



Yearly in the spring." 



* The name "Scout" has been usually applied to the Guillemot, but 

 it was not so applied by Ray, either here, or on his visit in July, 1671, 

 to Bamborough Castle, where he writes of " Scouts or Razorbills," but 

 he also mentions " Guillemets," which he does not do at the Bass. See 

 also what he says in the "Ornithology" (Eng. ed.), pp. 19, 324. 



t Lack or Lacks is a local name for the rocks at low tide as I 

 ascertained from one of tlie natives. 



