GANNET. C47 



The colony of Gannets at St. Kilda is situated principally on two enor- 

 mous rock-stacks near the island of Borrcra. Tlicse stacks are made 

 conspicuous at a great distance by the tens of thousands of Gannets that 

 cluster on them ; they appear as if covered with a white cloth, so thickly 

 do the birds congregate upon them ; and when the Gannets are disturbed 

 the air is filled with a dense fluttering throng, although the cliffs are not 

 visibly decreased in whiteness. Vast numbers of these birds are caught 

 by the St.-Kildans, not only for food but for the sake of the oil and 

 feathers that they yield. 



The eggs of the Gannet, as seen through the hole when held up to the 

 light, are emerald-green, and occasionally traces of this colour can be seen 

 on the outside ; but usually the surface is thickly coated over with a layer 

 of white, which in some places appears to be very clumsily laid on. They 

 are nearly uniform ovals, which vary in length from 3"4 to 2*8 inch, and in 

 breadth from 2-15 to r85 inch. An exceptionally small egg measures 

 2"65 inch in length and TH inch in breadth. The egg of the Gannet can- 

 not easily be confused with that of any other British bird, but exceptionally 

 small examples are shorter than the longest eggs of the Cormorant, though 

 never so narrow. 



The Gannet only rears a single nestling, which is assiduously fed by its 

 parents, the fish never being brought to the nest in the bill, but always 

 being disgorged. The sitting bird is fed by its mate, who usually brings 

 the fish and leaves it at the side of the nest. At the Bass Bock numbers 

 of young birds are taken, plucked and roasted, and sold by the lessee 

 of the rock, who is also the landlord of the Canty-Bay Inn. The feathers 

 are sold in great quantities. During the winter the Gannet wanders far 

 from its breeding-places, following in the wake of the shoals of fish. Its 

 great powers of flight enable it to wander great distances over the sea, in 

 search of the fish that feed near the surface. 



The Gannet is rather smaller than a Goose. The sexes do not difier in 

 colour, nor is it known that there is any important seasonal change of 

 plumage in adult birds. The general colour of both upper and underparts 

 is pure white, except the primaries and primary-coverts which are nearly 

 black. After the autumn moult the feathers of the head and neck are 

 suffused with buff, which appears to intensify in early spring and fade again 

 after incubation has commenced. Bill pale grey, the lines on the upper 

 mandible blackish blue, as are also the bare spaces at the base of the bill 

 round the eyes, and on the throat; legs and feet dull black, the frontal scu- 

 tellie emerald-green ; irides pale yellowish white. The young when newly 

 hatched are naked and dark slate-grey in colour, but soon become clothed 

 with thick pure white down. Young in first plumage have the upper parts 

 dark brown sparingly streaked with white, and the underparts butt' mottled 

 with greyish brown. After their first moult in their second autumn, when 



