of the South West of Scotland. 19 



in June. As they frequented the fishing boats, the men used 

 to supply them with fish ; and in a short time they became 

 quite familiar; took whatever was thrown to them, but would 

 not allow themselves to be caught. They were never obser- 

 ved to go far from the place where they were first seen. The 

 person who gave me this information, shot the two in the 

 spring ; and says that every winter one or more are seen on 

 the coast. He cannot say where they breed, but is sure there 

 are none on the Craig [of Ailsa]." This indifference to the 

 near presence of man, on the part of these northern strangers, 

 reminded me of that of the first Larus Sahini, — also a native 

 of the arctic regions, — obtained on the British shores. (Mag. 

 Zool. and Bot. v. i. p. 460). The month of June seems a late 

 period for the Iceland Gull to remain in such a comparatively 

 southern latitude ; and there can hardly be a doubt that it 

 is the same species which is seen about Ballantrae every win- 

 ter, as the authority for the statement must evidently know it 

 well from its congeners, when he correctly states that it breeds 

 not on Ailsa Craig. 



Gannet. Sula Bassana, Briss. Having heard from two 

 friends, who had been grouse-shooting in the neighbourhood 

 of Ballantrae, that they had seen great numbers of gannets 

 lying in a state of decay, in holes on the beach, and which 

 had been taken at extraordinary depths in the fishermen's 

 nets ; I made particular enquiry on the subject, from a worthy 

 resident of my acquaintance, (who is postmaster, &c. in the 

 village) ; and on the 15th November, 1836, received the fol- 

 lowing reply. " Gannets are very commonly caught about 

 Ballantrae, (chiefly in the month of March), in the fishermen's 

 nets, which are generally sunk from 9 to 20, but sometimes to 

 the depth of 30 fathoms,* just as the fish, herrings &c. are 

 lying. They are taken at all these depths, when the water is 

 rough as well as smooth, and in both the cod and turbot nets, 

 (respectively 5 and 7 inches wide in the mesh). Of the great- 

 est quantity taken at one time, " John, son of old Alex. Coul- 

 ter can make oath, that he took 94 gannets from one net, at a 

 single haul, a few years ago. The net was about 60 fathoms 

 long, a cod-net, wrought in a 5-inch scale. The birds brought 

 up the net, with its sinkers and fish, to the top, where such 

 as were not drowned, made a sad struggle to escape. There 

 were four nets in this train ; but the above 94 were in one of 

 the nets, and there were 34 additional birds in the other part 

 of the train, being 128 gannets in all." It is added that 

 " there are found also in the nets, what are here called holland 



* One hundred and eighty feet ; there heing 6 feet in a fathom. 

 c2 



