INTRODUCTION 



Bird Rock, Canada, first known in 1534 



Sulisgeir, Scotland ,, ... 1549 



The Fseroes ., ... 1673 



St. Kilda, Scotland ,, ... 1697 



The Stack, „ ,, ... 1710 



Skellig, Ireland ,, ... 1748 



Sulusker, Iceland ,, ... 1758 



Eldey „ „ ... 1758 



Grimsey ,, ,, ... 1819 



Bonaventure, Canada ,, 



Grasholm, Wales „ ... 1820? 



The Bull, Ireland ., ... 1853 



Seeing that nine of these fifteen stations are around the 

 British Isles the Gannet may be emphatically called a 

 British bird. 



As regards the numbers which inhabit these stations, a 

 very great divergency of opinion has been expressed, some 

 having put forward estimates which the facts at onr disposal 

 do not warrant our crediting. That it is very desirable to 

 get at a correct census of some of our native birds, no one can 

 deny. It would assist us in assigning causes for the pre- 

 dominance of one species over another, and be of utility in 

 other ways besides; moreover if a fairly correct census could 

 be arrived at with only a single species, there would at once 

 be a standard whereby to gauge the others. Accordingly 

 great pains have been taken to come at some estimate of the 

 number of Gannets at the eight occupied British stations, 

 but it has proved to be a task beset with difficulties. The 



