360 THE GANNET 



of the shell, and fully hatched b}^ mid-day. The female 

 had apparently not left the nest for several days. 2nd. 

 The male Gannet mounted guard on the nest, and both 

 remained side by side till night. I noticed the young one 

 stretching its small naked wing-joints while the parents 

 were shifting positions over it. 3rd. One of the old birds 

 plucked a number of feathers from its back, placing them 

 carefully on the nest. This was a somewhat useless proceed- 

 ing, as, on flapping its wings shortly after, the whole were 

 blown away. 7th. Both old birds sitting on the nest. 

 The young one now showed the eyes open : iris, dark hazel ; 

 eyelid and circle, livid slate colour ; beak, a dull slate, white 

 at the point ; a slight sprinkle of down on the head. . . . 

 9th. Young Gannet very noisy, squalling in the most 

 vigorous manner. The old birds were feeding it on several 

 occasions when visited, 10th. The down on the nestling 

 increased on the head, and sprouting all over the back. 

 The beak was now about three-quarters of an inch long." 



For comparison with this account, I am able to give the 

 following, supplied to " The Scotsman "* by Mr. Campbell : — 

 " * ■ • On the 5th June the young Solan was seen emerging 

 from the shell . . . The young bird, on making its exit 

 from the egg, appeared to use at first the little horny 

 excrescence on the tip of the upper mandible for the purpose 



* July 25tli, 1910. 



