In the Neighbourhood of Salisburi/. 199 



Needles and Old Harry Rocks, at the opposite extremities of 

 Bournemouth Bay. I had a beautifully-plumaged bird sent me 

 not long ago ; but, not being at home to receive it, it was taken in 

 by a friend of mine, and thrown away; and he excused himself by 

 saying that the stench of the bird was so intolerable that he really 

 could not keep it for me. He allowed, to my chagrin, that the 

 plumage was in capital condition, but that it was entirely out- 

 weighed by the stench. 



Sula Bassana. "The Gannet," or Solan Goose. I never ex- 

 perienced greater pleasure than when I first saw this powerful sea 

 bird engaged in its fishing operations on the coast of Dorset. I 

 was on the Chesil Beach, on which a magnificent sea was breaking; 

 and a strong wind from the sea was dashing the spray right over 

 me, while a heavy thunder shower soon after completed my dis- 

 comfiture, although a clear line of beautiful sun-light along the 

 horizon promised in due time a cessation of the war of the elements. 

 I was quite absorbed in watching the grandeur of the waves, when 

 on a sudden my attention was directed to six or seven birds, which 

 at a glance I knew I had never seen before, but whose actions at 

 once declared to me their name and nature. I recognised them at 

 once as Gannets, and their splendid headers into the boiling waters 

 beneath them were grand to witness. They would stop themselves 

 in their wandering flight, and after a moment's scrutiny to assure 

 themselves that there was no mistake, they closed their wings and 

 descended perpendicularly with such velocity as to bury themselves 

 completely under the water for several seconds, dashing the spray 

 around them, as they seemed recklessly fco engulph themselves in 

 the angry waters. Their bold fearless swoops struck me forcibly 

 with their strength and power of wing, and I returned home 

 delighted with my experiences, and nothing at all daunted by my 

 drenchings both with the salt and fresh water. They occur now 

 and then at Christchurch, and have been very numerous this year- 

 one gun killing six in one day. The rich cream-coloured plumage 

 of the adult bird is very pleasing, while the dark mottled plumage 

 of the bird of the year is so different that you can scarcely believe 

 \i to belong to the same species, One o£ these birds was killed at 



p % 



