192 THE WILD-FOWLER. 



assuredly mistake a solan goose for a large sea-gull, which it very 

 much resembles both in colour and flight ; but, on a closer view, 

 the goose may be clearly distinguished from the gull by its 

 long neck, large head, and black feathers at the points of its 

 wings. 



The solan goose, or " gannet," as it is also called, is by no means 

 gregarious, though these birds follow each other in flight, in ap- 

 parently regular succession, keeping at respectful distance, in order 

 that one may not interrupt the operations of the other; their means of 

 subsistence being sucli as to render their eiforts more successful with- 

 out companionship. 



The manner in which the solan goose obtains its food is remark- 

 able, and, it would appear, very precarious. 



The bird is by nature gifted with a large, bright, piercing eye, and 

 sharp-pointed, strong beak. It flies leisurely over the sea, generally 

 following the shoals of pilchards and herrings, or such other fish as 

 swim near the surface or occasionally show themselves above water. 

 Upon these the gannet keeps a watchful eye, and pounces from its 

 exalted position in the air with astonishing velocity, sometimes 

 just like a heav}"" stone falling from the clouds, and seldom missing 

 its victim — a herring, pilchard, small mullet, sprat, or some such fish. 

 The gannet darts down perpendicularly as a falling stone, though not 

 in a headlong position, as a hawk, but so as to strike the water hea- 

 vily with its breast, at the same instant that it secures the fish be- 

 tween the vice-like mandibles of its beak : 



and Description of Albion," prefixed to the " History and Chronicles of Scotland" 

 of Hector Boece : " In it" [the Bass Rock] " ar incredible noumer of Soland Geis ; 

 nocht unlik to thir fowlis, that PLineus callis See Ernis ; and ar sene in na part of 

 Albion, hot in this crag and Ailsay. At thair first cumin, quhilk is in the spring of 

 the yeir, thay gadder sa gret noumer of treis and stikkis to big thair nestis, that 

 the samin micht be sufficient fewell to the keparis of the castell, howbeit thay had 

 na uthir provision ; and thocht the keparis tak fra thir fowlis thir stikkis and treis, 

 yit thay tak litU indingnation thairof, bot bringis haistiHe agane als many fra uthir 

 placis quhair thay fle. Thay nuris thair birdis with maist deligat fische ; for, 

 thocht thay have ane fische in thair mouth abone the seis, quhair thay fle, yit gif 

 thay se ane uthir bettir, thay lat the first fal, and doukis, with ane fellon stoure, in 

 the see, and bringis haistUie up the fische that thay last saw ; and thoucht this 

 fische be reft fra hir be the keparis of the castell, scho takkis litUl indingnation, bot 

 fleis incontinent for ane uthir. Thir keparis of the castell forsaid, takis the young 

 geis fra thaim with litill impediment ; thus cumis gret profiet yeirlie to the lord of 

 the said castell." — P. xxxvij. 



Marty n, in his "Account of the Scottish Western Isles" mentions that the 

 Steward of St. Kilda found an arrow, besides other strange items, in a Solan goose's 

 nest : the former doubtless had fallen from her wounded body. — Vide Hansard's 

 Archery, p. 408. 



