CHAPTER XXVII 



SEPTEMBER ON THE BASS ROCK 



STANDING prominently in the North Sea, near the 

 eastern entrance to the Firth of Forth, the Bass Rock 

 rises precipitously from the water to a height of some 

 400 feet and is a conspicuous object for many miles around. 

 In early days the Bass was strongly fortified, and later was 

 used as a military prison. To the ornithologist, its chief 

 interest lies in the fact that it is the only nesting-place of the 

 gannet, or solan goose, along the whole eastern seaboard of 

 these islands. For centuries the solans have reared their 

 young on the Rock; in 1447 one finds first mention of them, 

 and one reads that in 1764 over 1,200 birds were taken and 

 sold for is. 8d. each. At that time there were restrictions as 

 to the killing of the solans, so the thousand and more victims 

 must have been obtained by the owner of the Rock himself. 



The first Act for the protection of the gannets was passed 

 in 1583, two years after James VI. paid a visit to the Bass. 

 By this Act the taking of the solan was forbidden "in the 

 pane of twentie pundis," or, should the fine be beyond the 

 means of the culprit, he was to be "wardit within the place 

 of the Bass during the space of ane yeir thairafter." The 

 owner of the Bass was exempt from this Act, and even at 

 the present day the lessee of the Rock is allowed to remove 

 an unlimited number of eggs and young birds. The parish 

 minister of North Berwick may, if he chooses, take a dozen 

 solans yearly, but the taking of the eggs or young and the 

 shooting of the adult birds by the general public is strictly 

 forbidden. 



The solan goose is, with the exception of the tribe of the 



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