NIDIFICATION AND INCUBATION 353 



The whole process has been described by the late Mr. 

 E. T. Booth, who, takmg daily notes of a Gannet which bred 

 in confinement at Brighton — which consequently gave 

 him great facilities for observation — has related* how 

 before sitting down on its nest, the old bird spreads the web 

 of one foot carefully over the egg. Then it places the other 

 foot as closely as possible over the first, and then drops on 

 to the nest. Mr. J. M. Campbell, of the Bass Lighthouse, 

 has also given his account of what takes place : " Alighting 

 on the edge of the nest, the bird shuffles on to the shallow 

 depression, carefully adjusting the huge webs of both feet 

 over the egg until it is completely concealed from view. 

 The body is then lowered over the feet until the breast 

 feathers but barely cover them, giving one the impression 

 that the bird is not sitting sufficiently far forward on the 

 nest. From this habit the eggs, originally chalky white, soon 

 become stained and discoloured, "f How far this covering 

 or clasping of the egg assists in incubation must remain a 

 matter of doubt, but it is a suggestive coincidence that 

 the Gannet is without the bare space usually termed at 

 hatching-spot, or brood-spot. This, however, is also lacking 

 in the Cormorant and Shag, which I believe do not put their 

 feet on their eggs when incubating them, so there cannot 



* " Rough Notes," Vol. III. 



t "The Scotsman " of June 2Sth, 1910. 



