Page:Lives of British Physicians.djvu/58

 42 BRITISH PHYSICIANS. an elegant and picturesque description. He in- troduces it by way of illustrating some of his notions relating to the formation of the egg-shell ; and after quoting the opinions of Aristotle, Pliny, and others, on this point of physiology, he con- tinues in the following words : — " And now we are upon this subject, give me leave to expatiate awhile. In the eastern barren islands of Scotland, there is such a great abundance of almost all sorts of sea-fowl, that if I should re- late all that I have heard, though from persons of great integrity, I fear I should be suspected to be more fabulous than those several authors who dis- course of the Scottish or Soland- geese, which they pretend to be born from the fruit of certain trees falling into the sea, (which fruit or geese they themselves never saw). However, I shall venture to relate what my own eyes have seen, " There is a little island, the Scots call it Bass, (by this, reader, guess at the others,) it is not far from the shore, seated in the main sea, and standing upon a rugged and dangerous clift, (you may call it rather one great continued stone or rock, than an island) it is not above a mile about. The superficies of this island (in the months of May and June*) is almost covered quite over with nests, eggs, and young ones, that for their infinite abundance, you can scarce set your foot in a spare place, and such a mighty flock hovereth over the island, that (like thick clouds) they darken and obscure the day ; and such a cry and noise they make, that you can hardly hear those that stand next you. If you look down into the sea beneath
 * It was in June that the king made his visit to Scotland.