DIVING AND FLIGHT 423 



British coast — ^wlien the weather was mild and there were 

 fish enough to their liking — and in Ireland, as pointed 

 out by Mr. Barrington ; also many times in Shetland. 

 Referring to the Fseroes, Miiller says: "Single birds may 

 be seen flying throughout the whole winter ; " * and 

 even on the coast of Iceland they are not absent in 

 winter. 



On the other hand, they have been encountered at times 

 very far to the south in summer — Mr. C. B. Ticehurst met 

 with them off Lisbon as late as May 28tli, and many were 

 seen one August by Lord Lilford off the north-west 

 coast of Spain.! 



Of course, their immense powers of flight have to be 

 remembered ; from the north of Spain to the south of 

 Scotland is only a thousand miles, a distance a Gannet 

 would accomplish in five days, or much less with a 

 very favourable wind.J 



How far each settlement, as summer comes round, retains 

 the same Gannets which by right belong to it, is another 

 matter. Such few experiments in ringing sea-birds as have 



* See p. 266. 



t Lilford's " British Birds," VII., p. 10. 



f We hardly reaUse what are the possibilities of a laird's fliglit with the 

 wind behind it. Diomedea exulans (L.) has been known to cover 3,400 

 miles in twelve days (" The Auk," 1895, p. 291), but that might easily be 

 exceeded. 



