48 THE GANNET. 



Moore and Montagu, is sufficient guarantee, but it looks as 

 if the Gannet was not very abundant on Lundy in his day. 

 Bellamy* speaks of Gannets breeding in 1839 on Lundy 

 Island. 



Its Modern History. — Turning now to the modern history 

 of this settlement, the story of Lundy Island is a sad one 

 — really too much so for a naturalist to dwell on, when one 

 thinks what might have been done, and was not done, for the 

 preservation of the Gannets in this their time-honoured 

 home. 



At one time, we are told by Messrs. D'Urban and Mathew, 

 the authors of " The Birds of Devon,"' there were nearly 

 seventy nests, and this as recenth" as ISSO,")" yet this may be 

 an error, for in 1887 there seem to have been only sixteen 

 n6'sts,J according to Mr. Howard Saunders, who stayed on 

 the island, and therefore had every opportunity of ascer- 

 taining their number. It is impossible now to say what 

 was the maximum number of nests reached at Lundy ; 

 it is unlikely that it was ever a very large settle- 

 ment, but Mr. Hudson Heaven, the proprietor of the 

 island, can recall the time when there were some score of 

 nests. About 1890 or 1891 Mr. Heaven's tenant, Wright, 

 told the Rev. M. A. Mathew § that he did not think a 



* " Nat. Hist. S. Devon," p. 218 t " Birds of Devon,' p. 177. 



% " Ootheca Wolleyana," II., p. 457. § I.e., p. 177. 



