18 Anniversary Address. 



that would please an epicure. It was a most interesting 

 sight to watch the headlong plunge of the Solans from the 

 top of the rock, as well as their fishing operations and those 

 of the other varieties previously mentioned, whose cries were 

 heard from a distance on the water while fishing in parties, 

 or playing with each other. The cry of the Solans is a 

 species of bark ; and, altogether, the combined cries of the 

 different birds are not so great as represented. The young 

 Solans, covered with their fine down, were most interesting 

 objects ; and, although they could not fly, the noses of more 

 than one member of the Club plainly testified whether or not 

 they could bite. Their nests were composed of Holcus 

 lanatus and sea- weed rubbish, and were of a very rudimentary 

 character. The nests had a most pungent odour of urea and 

 fish, with which in warm days the whole atmosphere of the 

 island is saturated. The number of the Solans is at present 

 augmenting. We inspected two fine specimens of the 

 Peregrine Falcon, removed from an eyrie on the rock to the 

 keeper's at Canty Bay. They were noble-looking birds; and 

 he asked £4 for the pair. To the buildings on the rock the 

 mealy lichen, Diploicia canescens, is everywhere attached ; 

 and the prevalence of the Parmelia parietina imparts a 

 golden hue to the tops of the towering cliffs, and is seen for 

 a considerable distance out at sea, as well as the fine pink 

 colour from the flowers of the Lychnis dioica, above the 

 landing place. Amara familiaris and Cryptophagus affinis 

 were two insects observed. The latter, which is accounted 

 very rare, was flying about in scores, and showed a marked 

 preference to alight on a black coat. 



Four papers were read during the day : 1st. " On the 

 Benedictine Nunnery of North Berwick," by John Stuart, 

 LL.D., F.S.A., Scot. ;■ 2. Notices of the Ecclesiastical History 

 of East Lothian and the Bass ; and of Saint's Caves, by the 

 same ; 3. Excerpts from the Books of John Earl, and after- 

 wards Duke, of Lauderdale, respecting the prices of Solan 

 Geese from 1674 to 1678, communicated by Mr. Robert 



