GANNET, OR SOLAN GOOSE. 79 



the middle of April. A few stay and breed 

 here, but the greater mass press northward in 

 the spring migration, and are not seen again till 

 the fall. They are graceful birds, with long, 

 flat bodies, and slender bills. Males have 

 glossy green heads, with a thin crest, back and 

 wings white and black, breast reddish. They are 

 graceful and active divers, slipping under the 

 water without any splash or inverting of the 

 body, and in flight make no whistling, as Golden- 

 eyes do. They are among the most abundant 

 birds of our bays during the migratory seasons. 



GANNET, OR SOLAN GOOSE. 

 (Sula bassana) 



The Gannet resembles a goose in general 

 appearance, but is white with black primaries, 

 hke the ordinary Sea Gull, and fishes by dashing 

 into the water for its prey, as Sea Gulls do. 

 Gannets are common on the fishing grounds of 

 the Gulf, and breed on the lonely Bird Rocks, 

 in its mid - waters, north of the Magdalens. 



The Common Cormorant — a heavy, black bird. 



