418 SULA BASSANA. 



the pluiiinqo of the adult appears, and is completed by the 

 end of the autumn ; but individuals examined at different 

 periods are more or less spotted or patched with the one or 

 the other. An individual in the second year, shot on the 

 Bass by W. Stables, Esq., had the bill pale greyish-blue, 

 tinged with greenish ; the eyelids light blue ; the iris silvery ; 

 the bare skin about the eyes livid l)lackish-blue ; the feet 

 brown ; the lines dull yellowish-green ; the claws pale 

 bluish-gi-ey. The head, neck, and under parts coloured as 

 in the adult ; the back of brown and white feathers inter- 

 mixed ; the scapulars and wing-coverts, some deep brown, 

 others white ; quills, both primary and secondary, primary 

 coverts, alula, and little primary coverts, brown ; secondary 

 coverts, some brown, some white ; tail dark brown ; upper 

 larger coverts white ; the skin light blue ; the middle of the 

 mouth dull livid blue. 



Length 35^ inclies ; extent of wings 70 ; bill along the 

 ridge 4, along the edge 6 ; tarsus 2 ; middle toe 4^. 



Remarks. — Although the history of the Gannet is given 

 much more fully above than in any British work known to 

 me, it is yet very imperfect, there being many details of its 

 organization of great interest, but for which I have scarcely 

 space left. The skin, which can be inflated by blowing into 

 a puncture made in it, appears as if connected with the sub- 

 jacent parts only by shreds and points of cellular tissue. 

 Montagu found, from repeated experiments in the dead bird, 

 that there is a communication between the lungs and cellular 

 membrane covering the greater part of the body, as well as 

 with the whole cavity of the body ; but that the skin could 

 not be inflated through the lungs, although air would readily 

 pass in a contrary direction ; and there also exists a sepa- 

 ration betAveen the cellular sub-cnticular cavities of each 

 side of the body, which prevents their being continuously 

 inflated. The skin is also furnished with a transparent cel- 

 lular membrane, the cells being regularly perforated close to 

 the base of each feather. At the ujiper part of the breast is 

 a large bag, which extends some Avay up the neck, but no 

 opening was discovered into it, although it was found by 



