70 CORY'S GANNET. 



HABITS. 

 I foiuul Cory's Gannet abundant on the Island of Little Cayman in April and May 

 1888. This is a small key lying about one hundred and iifty miles south of Cul)a, and 

 about the same distance north-west of Jamaica. Here was an extensive gannetry on 

 the south side of the island, extending from a point about a mile from the west end of 

 the island along the shore about a mile, and I estimated that there were at least 10,000 

 pairs of gannets breeding here. 



The bii-ds were exceedingly tame, insomuch so that they would allow me to take 

 them in my hands. The eggs are laid by the iirst of January, as I was informed by a 

 resident of Little Cayman, thus at tlie time of my visit, the nests, which were placed 

 on trees at an average height of ten feet from the ground, were nearly all tenanted by 

 a young bird. At first the young are naked, or nearly so, but rapidly acquire a thick 

 coating of long snowy white down which is retained until the birds are nearly as large 

 as their parents. 



The young are fed b\- regurgitation, and remain in the nests till they have assumed 

 in a great measure the brown dress; the3' then perch on the branches, and remain on them 

 for some time, in many cases until forced to leave them by the pai-ents. 



As mentioned, under an account of the Habits of the man-of-war Bird, these gannets 

 suffer much from the persecutions of those avian pirates of the sea, and although the gan- 

 nets are safe from attack just as soon as they reach a point over the land, they never 

 hasten to reach such a haven by coming directly over the island, but invariably skirt the 

 key initil opposite the rookery, when they enter it. 



There Avas another large colony of gannets, probably of this species, breeding at the 

 east end of Cayman Brae where they were nesting on clifls, I did not have an opportu- 

 nity however, of visiting the place. 



Although Cory's Gannet does not wander much, there is little doubt but that it is 

 found on our coast occasionally. In Vol. 1 of Contributions to Science I have given an 

 extended accoiuit of this species. 



Notes On Tachtpetes Aquillus, Man-of-war BniD. The tongue is short and triangular, short- 

 er than the width, with the point slightly raised. The superior larynx is quite well developed but exhibits 

 no marked feature. 



The trachea is 6.75 long, nearly straight and much flattened near mouth, but becomes rounded near 

 lower larynx. 



The sterno trachealis has its origin about .30 above the inferior larynx, and there is a single bronchia. 

 lis, extending from this to the upper half rings. The tympanifornis are much exposed on the upper side of 

 the bronchial tubes ; are as wide as the tube at the bronchial division, but narrow greatly toward the lungs. 

 Half rings, twenty. Os transversale, well developed, but has no semiluna membrane. 



The heart is, short, thick and oval, 1.40 by 1.25. Both lobes of the liver are about equal in size. Oe- 

 sophagus 8.65 long, and very extensible, and has eight prominent ridges, which continue into the wide pro- 

 ventriculus as angular glandular tracts, 1.30 long. Glands, numerous, simple, oval,, .30 long. Stomach, 

 continuous with proven triculus, small 1 .01 ) long, but is furnished with a pyloric lobe nearly as large as itself 

 1.00 by .60. Duodenum 3.00 long , pancreas occupying half its length. Spleen, elliptical. 



