20 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



THE GANNETS OF MALDEN ISLAND. 

 In placing these few incomplete notes on the Gannets which 

 frequent Maiden Island before the members of the Club, I have 

 not thought it necessary to enter into any description of the 

 island itself, as those who desire to know more about it may 

 find a description of it in a previous number of the Club's journal 

 (Victorian Naturalist, vi., p. 123). Through the kindness and 

 energy of my cousin, Mr. John M'CuUough, who holds the 

 position of field overseer on Maiden, i am enabled to exhibit 

 to-night the eggs of the three species of Gannets which 

 resort there for the purpose of nidification, viz. : — Masked 

 Gannet, Snla cyanops, Brown Gannet, S. fiber, Red-legged 

 Gannet, aS'. piscator. As far as I am aware, the egg of the latter 

 has not been previously exhibited here, and for that reason I 

 have shown the eggs of the whole four species which inhabit 

 Australia, for purposes of comparison by those who care to do so. 



The egg of the Red-legged Gannet is the smallest of the four 

 species, is of a dirty white colour, and in size and shape closely 

 resembles an ordinary hen's egg — measuring roughly 2|- in. in 

 length by i j V in. in breadth. The shell is slightly rough, but 

 is smoother than any of the other three. The nest consists of 

 twigs or stems of hibiscus, built just high enough to be clear of 

 the water in the lagoon at high tide, and situated on a ledge of 

 rock or coral. Eggs have been taken as early as i8th August, 

 and as late as the end of November, but I have not yet 

 ascertained definitely whether the birds raise more than one 

 brood in the year. Their period of incubation is 45 days, in 

 the instance which I have caused to be observed the egg being 

 laid on the 17th November and the young bird hatched out on 

 the 31st December; and as eggs are laid in the middle of August, 

 it gives ample time for this to be a second brood. 



Of the habits of the Masked and Brown Gannets I have 

 not obtained so full particulars. The former builds a rude nest 

 composed of a few twigs of pig's face weed laid around a slight 

 depression in the guano, and raises very decided objections to 

 her eggs, of which she sometimes lays three in a clutch, forming 

 a subject of examination by the naturalist, whose wily endear- 

 ments and suspicious approach she vigorously resents. The eggs 

 in my possession were taken on the i8th August. The Brown 

 Gannet usually lays two eggs, making no further attempt at nest 

 building than the scraping of a slight depression in the guano. 



I hope to be able at some future date to add to these notes 

 further particulars as to the habits of these and other birds which 

 constitute very nearly the entire fauna of Maiden Island. 



My cousin has furnished me with a few extracts from his diary 

 relating to his feathered friends, which I shall anticipate his 

 permission to read, but I cannot, of course, publish them. — R. S. 

 Sugars. 



