THE BASS ROCK 213 



called the Bass Goose, and is somewhat smaller than Common 

 Geese, but much fatter. It lives on herrings, and when it is 

 eaten retains their flavour. In fatness it excels by far all 

 birds of what kind soever. In the month of April or May 

 these Geese make for this island, and then every thing must 

 be quiet ; but when they have begun to build their nests, they 

 fear no noise. Their feathers are useful for filling beds. 

 They are sold by the people of the neighbourhood dear 

 enough. Those of Edinburgh pay 25 shillings for one 

 Goose. Each has but one egg, and that but once a 

 year. This they place with so much skill, that if anyone 

 hanging by a rope, removes it from the rock, it cannot be 

 again replaced. They do not sit upon the egg like other 

 birds, but lay the sole of their foot upon it, and thus brood 

 and hatch the chick. The young are somewhat ash-coloured, 

 but the adults are white. They have a long neck after the 

 fashion of a Crane's, a very sharp bill of the length of the 

 middle finger, and of a yellow colour. The bone which we 

 commonly call the Bril [i.e., pair of spectacles] can in other 

 birds be separated from the breastbone, but in this by no 

 means, so that it cannot be torn away by any force, being 

 so fixed to the latter, that [the bird] plunging into the sea 

 when it pursues herrings may not break its neck by its own 

 violence. In the month of August the young are taken 

 away and sold for quite a high price, the others fly away 



