VOL. VT.] SIBBALD'S PRODROMUS. 49 



serrated. The feet are black, and the intervening toe mem- 

 branes broad, and so much wrinkled that the bird can stand 

 firmly on the sharpest rocks on one foot only. The bone which 

 is commonly called " Bril " is in this bird so connected with 

 the breast that by no force can it be torn away, which prevents 

 the bird from breaking its neck when violently dashing into 

 the sea in pursuit of herrings. 



Concerning which matter, it is said, that if the bird is placed 

 anywhere out of sight of the sea it carmot raise its body from 

 the earth to fly, which some attribute to the length of its wings, 

 but I rather attribute this to the stupidity of the bird, for when 

 reared among dwellings it appears to be a singularly stupid 

 bird. 



Each hen Gaimet lays but a single egg at a time. Those 

 who pamper their appetites most, cannot by their skill produce 

 any flavour so delicate of meat and fish mingled, as this bird 

 has when roasted. Hence among our countrymen the full- 

 gro'\\Ti chickens are held to be delicacies and fetch a high price ; 

 — they come to us in the spring-time, and do not leave before 

 the Autumn. They breed not only on the Island of Bass, but 

 on Ailsa and other islands of the Hebrides. 



Corvus Aquaticus, the Cormorant, frequent on the rocks 

 of the Firth of Forth. 



Corvus Aquaticus minor, or Graculus Palmipes, the Shag. 

 Four-toed web-footed birds with a free hind toe, the beak 

 narrow and not serrated at the point : — 



Puffinus Anglorum. Common on the shore of our County 

 of Galloway [the Manx Sheerwater, cf. Willughby's 

 Ornithology, p. 333]. 

 Birds with narrow beaks, hooked at the tip and serrated : — 

 Merganser, the Harle of Belon, the Goosander. There 

 are several kinds of Mergus with us. The greater and 

 smaller ones on the coast of Buchan, one of which has 

 been engraved on a silver plate by the hand of the Most 

 Noble the Countess of Errol. 

 Birds with a narrow beak, not hooked at the tip with short 

 wings and able to dive, called Colymbus : — 



The Cloymbus has a narrow, straight, sharp-pointed bill, 

 small head and small wings, feet placed behind near its 

 tail for the purpose of swimming more rapidly and 

 diving wdth ease. The legs wide and flat, or compressed. 

 The claws broad and similar to human nails. Among 

 this sort of bird are those with separated feet, lacking 

 a tail. 



