FOOD AND FISHING 391 



birds, on the ground that they lessen our food supply, fail 

 of their purpose. For should they succeed in appreciably 

 reducing the numbers of these birds, they will but give a 

 fresh impetus to the shoals of predaceous fishes . . . and 

 over these the}'' have no control whatever."* 



Those who hold the same opinion as Mr. Pycraft, and 

 I confess I am one of them — viz., that to destroy fish-eating 

 birds, on the ground that they lessen our food supply, is 

 a mistake — will agree that the Gannet, for the part it plays 

 in the great scheme of Nature, is a bird more worthy of 

 protection than persecution. f 



* " A History of Birds," by W. P. Pycraft, p. 115. 



t Oannets in confinement. — Here it may not be out of place to say a 

 few words on tlie Gannets which I have at different times kept on my 

 pond. Provided a good supply of fish is obtainable there is not much 

 difficulty in keeping them in good health, but they are hable to swellings 

 on the feet, which it is difficult to prevent. Mr. Booth had much trouble 

 with this, but eventually chalk with short grass over it proved a safe exer- 

 cising ground, and their feet recovered {see " Rough Notes "). If my birds 

 were at all hungry, they were not to be satisfied with less than eight good- 

 sized fish apiece daily, generally mackerel, whitings or herrings of half-a- 

 pound. That was in the winter and spring, and if there was a sharp frost 

 their appetites increased with it, and nine or ten herrings were none too much. 

 But in the summer they became much less ravenous, owing I suppose to the 

 warm weather, and then four or five fish were enough, and these were not 

 eaten with the same relish as before. On one occasion one of these Gannets 

 pouched twenty-two small roach, fresh from the river, in ten minutes, and 

 obviously liked them very much, though it must have been a new dainty. 

 The capacity of their gullets is enormous, so much so that they will admit 

 a man's hand with but little extension, as T proved on a dead one. These 

 Gannets could comfortably dispose of a mackerel seventeen inches long^ 

 for T have seen one of them do it, and a few minutes afterwards be ready 



