320 THE GANNET 



Gannets are said to have bred at one time on Rona 

 Island,* and as it is fairly precipitous, and only ten miles 

 from Sulisgeir, where there are thousands, this seems not 

 improbable. 



It is certain that they have not bred in the Orkneys proper 

 in recent times, and perhaps never ; and Mr. Combe, of the 

 Whalsey Skerries Lighthouse, agrees with Dr. Saxby in 

 thinking that they have not bred on the North Stack, 

 Shetland, t and this concludes all the possibly abandoned 

 breeding-places for Scotland. 



Ireland. — As previously stated, J there is some reason for 

 supposing that Gannets may have formerly bred on some 

 rocks about four miles from the coast- of Mayo, although the 

 the fact of Mr. Knox's having shot young ones which could 

 fly§ proves nothing. 



Iceland. — The late Professor Newton, while disbeUeving 

 in the existence of any Gannets at Drangey, thought that 

 there was a possibility of their having bred on Mevenklint, 

 a rock to the northward of Grimsey Island. 



Canada. — Two nurseries in North America have been 



* " Proc. Royal Physical Soc. Edinburgh," 1883-85, p. 65. 



I See " The Birds of Shetland " (1874), p. 322. 



\ See p. 74. 



§ " Birds of Ireland," iii., p. 451. 



