CHAPTER XIV 



HABITS OF THE GANNET. 



The Gannet's affectionate Disposition, — Its frequent Habit of 

 Gaping^Its Cries — an imitation of the Elements — Its hours of 

 Sleep — Its sense of Smell. 



Oannets' affection for one another. — Allusion has already 

 been made in the preceding chapter to the hard treatment 

 meted out to young Gannets by old ones which sometimes 

 are and sometimes are not their parents — a treatment 

 nearly as unnatural as the behaviour of Megalestris 

 maccormicki to its young* — -as well as to the fights which 

 go on among the adults themselves. That there should be 

 fighting and jealousy in a common community is not 

 invariably one of the conditions of bird-life, even where 

 nests are close together, but it is not absent at the 

 Bass. However, their struggles generally end as abruptly 

 as they began, and are quickly forgotten ; the Gannets 

 which were fighting before being very soon good friends 

 again. 



Perhaps all birds are capable of affection, more or less ; 



* "Nat. Antarctic Expedition," N.H., II., p. 64 (1907). 



