372 THE GANNET 



gust of wind do^\^l into the sea before they are ready. 

 But even if they do meet with either of these mishaps, 

 they are not necessarily left to die, for old ones — very 

 likely not their own parents — will sometimes provide 

 for them. A young Gannet which some visitor to the 

 Bass Rock had carried to the landing-stage and thought- 

 lessly left there, was seen by Mr. Laidlaw to be fed by 

 an old one. 



The flight, or rather descent, of the young Gannet from 

 its natal ledge, is a very unsteady performance, yet on the 

 whole it is well sustained, so that the bird has probably 

 achieved a distance of half a mile before the final descending 

 curve into the sea takes place, which ends with a mighty 

 splash, caused by impact with the water. The a-Topyi], or 

 natural affection, of which Gilbert White wrote so 

 eloquently, is now past and over, and the young one 

 must shift for itself as best it can in the world of waters. 

 When once launched, the young Gannet is comparatively 

 safe, except that it is now in some measure at the mercy 

 of the tide. In the sea it remains, drifting hither and 

 thither for the space of two or three weeks. It is 

 apparently unable to rise from the water, and all 

 evidence points to its receiving no food whatever, except 

 the sustenance contained in its own subcutaneous layer of 

 grease, which is considerable enough to impart nutriment to 



