3 
Dr. R. O. Cunningham on the Solan Goose. 
publication of Turner’s work, commences his description of the 
Solan Goose with a quotation from that author, and then goes 
on to state that he has learned from an erudite Scotchman that 
these geese, called Solan Geese, exceed the domestic geese in 
length, but are not so broad; that they lay their eggs on rocks 
and cover them with one foot during the process of incubation, 
whence, perchance, the origin of the name Soland, “ a solea, id 
est planta pedis;” and that the old birds feed their young with 
fish, in the selection of which they evince considerable discrimi¬ 
nation, for, if after they have caught one fish, they see another 
which they regard as superior to it, they reject the first and 
secure it. He then concludes by quoting the passage from 
Hector Boece, of which we have shortly before spoken. In the 
same year in which Gesner’s work was published, Olaus Magnus 
issued his s Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus’*; and in it 
is contained an account of the bird, which, though it does differ 
very materially from those of previous authors, nevertheless 
provides us with a few additional particulars regarding its habits, 
which I subjoin :—“ Hse anates in vere turmatim a Meridie in 
rupem de Bass quotannis veniunt, & rupem duobus, vel tribus 
diebus circumuolitant: quo in tempore rupem inhabitantes, nul¬ 
lum tumultum faciunt. Tunc nidificare incipiunt, & tota restate 
manent, ac piscibus viuunt: & incolse rupis, piscibus ab illis 
captis pascuntur. Ascendunt enim illarum nidos, vt superius 
de pullis aquilse dictum est, & ad libitum pisces acceptant. In 
capiendis autem piscibus mirabilis est huius auis industria. In 
fundo maris lynceis oculis piscem contemplatur: contra quern 
se prsecipitat, sicuti contra ardeam nisus: quern protinus ore et 
vngulis extrahit. * -k- Iuniores anates, aut anserculos in terra 
vicina vendunt. * * In fine autumni rupem triduo circuuolant 
& postea agminatim ad partes Meridionales pro tota hyeme 
auolant, vt illic viuant in restate: quia quando nobis est hyems, 
Meridionalibus est sestas. Diutissime hse anates viuunt: quod 
per quasdam signatas incolse perpenderunt. Triginta, aut qua- 
draginta in rupe bellatores harum auium fructus alit, & domino 
rupis nonnihil vectigalis penditur.” 
* Olaus Magnus, Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus. Romae, 1555. 
Lib. XIX. de avibus, Cap. IX.—De mirabili generatione Anatum Scotiae. 
B 2 
