220 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 

 Family SULID^. Genus Sula. 



G A N N E T. 



Sula bassana, Brisson. 

 Single Brooded. Laying season, May and early June. 



British breeding area : Tlie Gannet is an abun- 

 dant but very locally distributed bird in the British 

 Islands. Its only breeding-places within their area are 

 as follows : — England : Lundy Island (a few pairs) ; 

 Wales : Grassholm, off the coast of Pembrokeshire (a 

 small colony) ; Scotland (E. coast) : the Bass Rock (a 

 large colony) ; (N, coast), the Stack of Suleskerry (a 

 large colony) ; (N.W. coast), Sulisker (the largest colony 

 in our islands) ; (W. coast), Boreray and adjoining 

 Stacks in the St. Kilda Group (a very large colony) ; 

 Ailsa Craig (a large colony) ; Ireland (S.VV. coast) : 

 Little Skellig (a large colony). 



Breeding habits : The Gannet is a resident in the 

 British seas, but seldom comes near land for any 

 lengthened period except to breed, and during autumn 

 and winter wanders about considerably in quest of its 

 finny prey. It is a very gregarious bird during the 

 nesting season, congregating in large numbers at certain 

 favoured spots year by year. The Gannets begin to 

 return to their breeding-colonies early in spring, nest- 

 building commencing towards the end of April. The 

 rude nests are made on the ledges of the ocean cliffs, 

 amongst the broken rocks at the summit of the 

 precipices, or on the flat tops of pinnacles and stacks. 

 Vast numbers of nests are made close together ; in 

 some places so much so that it is well-nigh impossible 

 to walk amongst them without breaking the eggs. The 

 nest is not very large, but generally so trodden out of 



