VOL. VT.] SIBBALD'S PRODROMUS. 53 



the upper part of the neck, and is shaded from green to white. 



The whole of the neck, the lower part of the head, the breast, 

 and the upper part of the backhand wings are white. The 

 flight feathers, however, are black, as also the whole breast 

 and rump. The tail is three inches long, and is also black. 

 The feet are black and have three toes joined down to the 

 extremity by a black membrane. The legs are short and 

 black. The feet are furnished with sharp and incurved claws, 

 they have on the rear side a spur placed at the beginning of the 

 leg — furnished with a similar membrane and claw. The female 

 is of the same shape and size, but is all of one colour, brown 

 with some black spots, dispersed here and there. In other 

 respects it is similar to the male. These birds make their 

 nests on the rocks, and lay many and fine-flavoured eggs. 

 Their feathers are very soft and most suitable for filling quilts. 



From a very small compass they expand enormously and 

 warm the human body beyond all other feathers. 



These birds are wont to moult at certain seasons, and then 

 the traders enrich themselves by dealing in this merchandise. 



This bird seems to me to be the same as our Cole a, which 

 Buchanan mentions when treating of the Island of Suilskeraia 

 [Suliskerry]. " In this Island is seen a very rare kind of bird, 

 unknown in other places, they call it Colca. It is in size a 

 little inferior to a Goose. Every year it arrives there in 

 Spring, and brings up the young, which it hatches, until they 

 are able to take care of themselves. About that time the 

 feathers fall off from the whole body of their owti accord, and 

 leave the bird naked, after which it again betakes itself to the 

 sea, nor is it again seen till the following Spring. And more- 

 over it possesses this peculiarity that its feathers have no 

 quills, but clothe the whole body as though with a light down, 

 in which there is no hard point."* 



Thomas Bartholomew asserts that the wild Eider Duck has 

 its beak somewhat sharper than the common Duck. Their 

 flesh is salt in taste. 



Albanoca, a web-footed bird, speckled with red and white 

 and ash-coloured spots. It nests on the Island Ailsa. 



Chapter vii. 



Of various kinds of birds found with us which are of uncer- 

 tain class, and of which an exact description is desired. 



The bird called Gare, like a sea crow, with a very large 

 egg [the Great Auk]. 



* cf. Aikman's History of Scotland, Vo]. I., p. 55. 



