xxxii. THE GANNET 



First we have the long standing legend at the Bass Rock 

 that Gannets habitually attain to a great age (pp. 176, 

 451-2), a legend ^vhich we may be sure has not held its own 

 for four hundred years without a measure of truth in it. 



Secondly it has been argued that an inert and sluggish 

 bird lives longer than one which is active, because there 

 must be less waste in its organism ; this does not seem an 

 unreasonable proposition, and accordingly the Gannet, 

 which is a sluggish bird, sliould be long-lived if this holds 

 good. 



Thirdly, long brood-care has been thought to stretch 

 out the duration of life, and here again the Gannet 

 scores. It has also been reasonably suggested that where 

 the period of growth is long (seventy days in the 

 Gannet), that in itself may imply long duration of 

 a bird's life. 



It has likewise been argued that birds which lay only 

 one egg must of necessity live longer than those wliich 

 lay a great many. The Partridge, for example, begins to 

 lay at one year old and deposits fourteen eggs, whereas the 

 Gannet begins to lay at three years, and deposits only 

 one egg ; the Gannet therefore should be much the longer- 

 lived bird of the two. 



Again, a Gannet is a very hardy bird, exceedingly well 

 clad with close-fitting thick feathers adapted to the 

 elements in which it lives. It is not exposed to much frost, 

 because frosts are not intense at sea, and no wind or rain 

 seems to hurt it, so long as enough food is obtainable. 



Yet another reason why Gannets should be long-lived is 

 urged by August Weismann in his treatise on the Duration 



