416 THE GANNET 



muscles.* In rising from the sea, a Gannet takes care to 

 breast the wind, the more easily to disengage its long 

 pinions, which in spite of that flap heavily, and for some 

 distance, upon the water ; while the backward position of its 

 feet also adds to its difficulty in mounting into the air. 



Gannets at Play. — One day in August, 1906, when on the 

 top of the Bass Rock, I had my attention drawn to a great 

 company of Gannets — nearly five hundred, I should say — 

 circling round and round in curious evolutions, bringing to 

 mind a swarm of gnats. There was no wind at all, and 

 there was no other conclusion than that they were at play. 

 We know that many birds play, and there is no reason why 

 Gannets should not do so like others of the feathered tribe. 

 This, however, was not the occasion on which Mr. Campbell's 

 photograph was taken. 



Movements of Gannets and other Birds controlled by Wind. — 

 There are few subjects which have attracted more attention 

 than the migration of birds, or about which abler treatises 

 have been penned, yet no one thinks that we have got to 

 the bottom of the matter yet. Careful as are the records 

 which have been made by many hundreds of observers, 

 yet there is one important item which has been too often 

 lost sight of — the force and direction of the wind. To those 



* Without which it wovild fall, see article by Professor Roj' in " Dic- 

 tionary of Birds," p. 270. 



