4 
Dr. R. 0. C unningham on the Solan Goose. 
The Gannet is also briefly noticed by Dr. John Caius, in his 
tract, ‘ de rariorum animalium atque stirpium historia/ which 
was published in 1570. In speaking of the Anser Brendinus , 
he says: “Non est ergo Scotorum Bassanus anser, qui in Basse 
Scotorum Insula nidum ponit atq; oua, a qua nomen habet. 
In hanc insula rupem existentem, nec in summo quantum 
Miluus oberret (vt Poeta dixit) sed exiguam, venturi stato 
anni tempore anseres, quo prius speculatu, qua obseruatione 
prsemissis nuntijs vtantur quam ingrediuntur : quo anni tempore 
hoc faciant, qua solitudine insulae, concludentibus se incolis ad 
aliquot dies, donee se firmauerint anseres, ne abigant, quanta 
multitudine atq; densitate inuolent, sic vt in serenitate solem 
adimant, quot pisces afferant, quot oua pariant, & quantos 
fructus in annos ex eis anserumq; plumis atq; oleo percipiant insu- 
lani (nam Pupinorum pinguedinem habent atq; gustu) longum 
esset recensere.” Ulysses Aldrovandus devotes a chapter of his 
‘ Ormthologia to the “Bass or Scottish Goose;” but he does 
not favour us with any original remarks on the subject, con¬ 
tenting himself by merely quoting the observations of Gesner 
and Boece. 
The next account of the bird, in so far as 1 am aware, is that 
given , by Clusius, in the ‘AuctariunU to his ‘ Exoticorum 
LibrPf, and entitled “ Sula Hoieri.” He states that the speci¬ 
men from which it was taken was obtained in the year 1605, in 
the Pserce isles, where it is called “ Sula,” and that he himself is 
doubtful whether it ought to be classed among the Gulls or the 
Geese, but that the friendly reader can settle the point to his 
own satisfaction. His description of the dimensions and plumage, 
which will be seen t) be tolerably correct, is as follows: “ Ab 
imo collo ad ouropygium usque ducta per dorsum mensura 
pedem Romanum longa erat; h capitis vertice ad dorsum usque, 
uncias undecim, colli ambitus totidem crassus erat; rostri, 
quod valde mucronatum & firmum habebat, longitudo, uncise 
quinque cum semisse: rostri pars crassior, & quse circa oculos, 
* Ulyssis Aldrovandi Ornithologice tomus tertius ac postremus. Lib. 
XIX. Cap. XX.—De Ansere Bassano sive Scotico (p. 162). 
t Caroli Clusii Atrebatis Exoticorum Libri decern. (Antwerp) 1605 
(p. 367). 
