574 GREY LAG GOOSE. Clvss II. 



ally, and promife, from the appearance of their plu- 

 mage, to furnifh a warm and ioft feather; but we 

 have lately been informed, that fome unfuccefsful 

 trials have been made at Glafgow: a gentleman who 

 had made a voyage to the weflern iiles, and 

 brought fome of the feathers home with a laudable 

 defign of promoting the trade of our own country, 

 attempted to render them fit for ufe, rrrft by bak- 

 ing, then by boiling them ; but their ilench was 

 fo offenfive, that the Glafgow people could not be 

 prevaled on to leave off their correfpondence with 

 Dantzick. The difagreeabie fmell of thefe feathers 

 mud be owing to the quantity of oil that all water 

 fowls ufe from the glandules of their rump to pre- 

 ferve and fmooth their feathers ; and as fea birds 

 mud expend more of this unction than other water 

 fowl, being almofb perpetually on that element, 

 and as their food is entirely nTn, that oil muft re- 

 ceive a great ranknefs, and communicate it to the 

 plumage, fo as to render it ablbluteiy unfit for 



ufe. 



L'Oye 



