THE NESTLING 363 



at Brighton : — " The old bird, for a ffew minutes before com- 

 mencing [to feed its young one] gave evidence, by certain 

 movements in the neck, that the food was being prepared 

 and gradually brought up. The nesthng was calling faintly, 

 and lifting up its head open-mouthed, when the old bird 

 dropped forward, and, opening the beak to an enormous 

 extent with the head drawn sideways, apparently scooped 

 the young one into its mouth." In another passage he 

 repeats these particulars, adding that the old Gannet 

 stretches down its head sideways, and completely conceals 

 the nestling, whilst it is being fed. 



Mr. Booth does not give any clue to the hour of the day 

 at which the young Gannets are fed, perhaps it varies 

 according to weather, but Mr. J. Laidlaw is of opinion that 

 it is most often early, and what confirms him in thinking 

 so is that if the young are made to disgorge before 

 10 a.m., the fish thrown up are generally fresh ones. The 

 following observations are some of several which were 

 obligingly taken by the Rev. H. N. Bonar, at the Bass Rock, 

 for the use of this work which bear on the point : — 



" Notes on Gannets, July 13th, 1910. Set down camera 

 at west gannetry, getting two parents with their young in 

 focus on the same plate. The best grown one (A) was 

 perhaps a month old, the smaller one (B) perhaps a fort- 

 night. Whilst I was focussing, the parents never left the 



