248 
SOLAN GOOSE. 
of a bird procured from Southern Africa, wherein 
it will be seen that there is little variation that would 
entitle specific distinction, except in the colour of 
the tail ; the length is two feet ten inches ; of the 
wing to the tip of the second quill (the longest), one 
foot eight inches. The plumage appears completely 
adult, and is coloured as in the birds from the Bass, 
but the tail, consisting of twelve feathers, is entirely 
brownish black, with white shafts. It is more uni- 
formly graduated than in a Bass bird, in a partially 
immature state, though breeding ; in the latter 
the feathers have commenced to change, and are 
grey at the base on the outer webs. The Bass birds 
are larger in all their proportions, and stronger. * 
Mr. Gould’s figure of Sula mclanura is extremely like 
our Cape specimen, and he gives it as a species, on 
the authority of Temminck, who received the speci- 
mens from Iceland. Mr James Wilson, in his Tour 
around the Coasts of Scotland, has mentioned that 
the inhabitants of St. Kilda are aware of a Gannet 
with a black tail. 
The Solan Goose is easily kept in confinement, 
though the required supply of fish renders its keep 
expensive ; but it will tame well, and live for years, 
where it has access to a piece of water, even though 
its limits are not large. 
* The parasites on this specimen were submitted to Mr. 
Denny, and were determined to be Docophorus lassani, identi- 
cal with those from British birds. 
