172 FALCO PEREGRINUS. 



interesting to the zoologist, is its being one of the few 

 places in Britain to which the gannet resorts during 

 the breeding season. The number which I saw might 

 be estimated at twenty thousand ; every part of the mu- 

 ral faces of the rock, especially towards their summits, 

 was more or less covered by them. In one spot near 

 the landing place, about forty yards in circumference, 

 and on a gentle slope of gravelly ground, about three 

 liundred individuals were sitting on their nests at the 

 period of my first visit. 



The gannets arrive about the middle of February or 

 the beginning of March, and depart in October; some 

 years a few individuals remain during the winter. The 

 nests are composed of grass and sea-weeds, generally 

 placed on the bare rock or earth, elevated in the form 

 of a truncated cone, of which the base is about twenty 

 inches in diameter, with a shallow terminal cavity. On 

 the summit of the island are numerous holes in the turf, 

 from eight to fifteen inches deep, and from six to nine 

 broad, formed by the gannets in pulling away grass and 

 turf for their nests. They are placed on all parts of 

 the rocks where a convenient spot occurs, but are much 

 more numerous towards the summit. Some of them 

 on the face of the rock, or in a shallow fissure, and 

 which have been occupied for years, are piled up to the 

 height of from three to five feet, but in this case they 

 always lean against the rock. The egg, which is soli- 

 tary, and presents nothing remarkable in its position, 

 is of an elongated oval form, bluish-white, dull, with a 

 chalky surface, usually patched with yellowish-brown 

 dirt. It is subjected to what might appear rough usage, 

 for the bird in alighting, flying off, or when disturbed 



