THE GANNET, OR SOLAN GOOSE. 



tilled hv the inhabitants for food. Allowinsr that the birds remaiu 

 in this part of the country about six mouths in the year, and tliat each 

 bird destroys five Herrings in a day, which is considerably less than 

 the average, we have at least ninety millions of the finest fishes in the 

 W')rld annually devoured by a single species of Saint Kilda Birds. 



'V\\e Gannets frequent nearly all the Uebrides, and are sometimes 

 f>3eii on the Cornish Coast ; but they seldom occur in any other parts 

 of Kurope. They are migratory ; and first appear in the abov^e islands 

 bout the month of March : they remain till August or September. 



They build their nest on the highest and steepest rocks they can 



iiiiMMPfll— f find near t ii o 



'if 



sea; layin^'-^ if 

 undisturbed, 

 only one egg in 

 the year ; 1 i:t 

 if that be tnh( n 

 away, they will 

 lay anotl'.er, r.i.d 

 if that be a.l.-o 

 taken, a thii(^, 

 but never inoie 

 in the pair.e f-ca- 

 son. 1 he cig 

 is white, rr.d is 

 ratlitr tnialkr 

 than that of the 

 Goose. T h e 

 nests are com- 

 posed of grass, 

 sea plants, or 

 any refuse fitted 

 for the purpose 

 that the birds 

 find floating on 

 the water. The 

 young Gannets, 

 during the first 

 year, d i if e r 

 greatly from the 

 old ones; for 

 they are of a 

 dusky liue. 



These birds, when they pass from place to ]ilace, unite in small 

 flocks of from five to fifteen; and, except in very fine weather, they 

 fly low, near the shore, but never pass over it : doubling the capes and 

 projecting parts, and keeping at nearly an equal distance from the 

 land. During their fishing they rise high into the air, and sail alol^ 

 ov(ir the shoals of Ilerrin jfs or Pilchards, much in the manner of Kite^. 

 When they observe the shoal crowded thick together, they close iheir 

 wings to their sides, and precipitate themselves, head foreiaosl iuta 



CATCHING GANNETS. 



