GARGANEY. 19'5 



for the eggs of the various kinds of water fowl, with 

 which it swarms ; and the produce of the solan geese 

 forms a large portion of the rent ; for great numbers 

 of their young ones are taken every season, and sold 

 in Edinburgh for twenty-pence each, where they are 

 esteemed a favourite dish, being generally roasted 

 and eat before dinner." 



" The solan geese have always some of their num- 

 ber that keep watch in the night-time ; and if the 

 centinel be surprised, as it often happens, all that 

 flock are taken one after another ; but if the centinel 

 be awake at the approach of the creeping fowlers, 

 and hear a noise, he cries, softly, grog, grog, at which 

 the flock do not move ; but if this centinel see or 

 hear the fowler approaching, he cries softly bir, bir, 

 which would seem to import danger, since, imme- 

 diately after, all the tribe take wing, leaving the 

 disappointed fowlers without any prospect of success 

 for that night." 



Notwithstanding that the young gannets may be 

 considered a delicacy, the old ones are so fishy as to 

 be, in general, scarcely eatable. 



* GARGANEY. Anas querquedula La sar- 



celle. 



Birds of this description are frequently killed in 

 the fens of Norfolk, where they sometimes breed, 

 and are called summer teal. 



