THE BASS ROCK 211 



endeavouring to escape by flight from the hands of those 

 taking them, they show themselves plainly unable to fly. 

 When the young reach the size of tame Geese they are sweet 

 and fit to eat, but hardly sooner. The flesh of the old Geese 

 is hard, lean, and black, though their feathers are white. 

 When they come to the Bass they bring with them a great 

 quantity of fishes upon which they live, which sometimes 

 afford spoil to the men who abide there, and serve as food 

 for them. They likewise carry with them sticks, of which 

 they build nests, and these also the inhabitants of the rock 

 take and use for firing. These Geese are commonly called 

 Solen, mispronounced Solend, corrupted as I think from the 

 Latin* — that is of yearly occurrence — for they come to us 

 solely once at a single term in the whole year. By some they 

 are called Scoutis,-\ that is wraio-rai [listeners], from their 

 exquisite faculty of hearing, in which writers on natural 

 history tell that Geese excel every other kind. But I rather 

 believe the Scoutis are those Geese which are sent on in 

 advance, as above said." 



The second passage in Blaeu relating to the Gannet 

 which gives some additional particulars, is in the account 

 of Islands in the Firth of Forth (p. 90), and was also 



* This is a misapprehension, .see p. 24. 



•f Ray uses " Scout " as a name for the Razorbill, and others apply it 

 to the Guillemot. My experience of Gannets, chiefly derived from some 

 in confinement, is that they are very deaf birds. 



p2 



