163 THE GANNET 
THE GANNET 
SULA BASSANA 
Crown buff-yellow; general plumage milk-white ; quills black; bill bluish 
grey at the base, white at the tip; orbits pale blue ; membrane prolonged 
from the gape and that under the throat dusky blue; irides yellow ; 
feet striped with green, the membranes dusky; claws white. Birds of 
the first year, general plumage dusky brown, beneath greyish. In the 
second year, greyish black above, marked with numerous triangular 
white spots, whitish below. Length three feet. Eggs dull greenish 
white. 
It would not be difficult to compile, from various sources, a descrip- 
tion of the Gannet and its habits which would fill more pages than 
my readers, perhaps, would care to peruse. To avoid this contin- 
gency, I will limit myself to a statement of my own personal acquaint- 
ance with the bird and its ways, and a transcript of notes kindly 
furnished me by a friend who visited the Bass Rock, one of its 
favourite haunts in the breeding season. 
Extract from my own Journal.— August 27th. I lay for a long 
time to-day on the thick herbage which crowns the splendid cliffs, 
‘the Gobbins’’, near the entrance of Belfast Lough,watching through 
a telescope the proceedings of some Gannets, or Solan Geese. This 
bird, which is allied to the Pelicans rather than the Geese, is of a 
large size, much bigger than a Gull, from which, also, it may be 
distinguished at a distance by its greater length of neck, the intense 
whiteness of its plumage, and the black tip of its wide-spreading 
wings. But apart from all these distinguishing characters, its mode 
of fishing is, by itself, sufficient to mark it. In flight it is eminently 
wandering ; it circles round and round, or describes a figure of 
eight, at a varying elevation above the water, in quest of herrings, 
pilchards, or other fish whose habit is to swim near the surface. 
When it has discovered a prey, it suddenly arrests its flight, partially 
closes its wings, and descends head foremost with a force sufficient 
to make a jet d’eau visible two or three miles off, and to carry itself 
many feet downwards. When successful, it brings its prize to the 
surface, and devours it without troubling itself about mastication. 
If unsuccessful, it rises immediately}; and resumes its hunting. It 
is sometimes seen swimming, perhaps to rest itself, for I did not 
observe that it ever dived on these occasions. My companion told 
me that the fishermen on the coast of Ireland say that, if chased 
by a boat when seen swimming, it becomes so terrified as to be un- 
able to rise. The real reason may be that it is gorged with food. 
He was once in a boat on the Lough, when, a Gannet being seen a 
long way ahead, it was determined to give chase, and ascertain 
whether the statement was correct. As the boat drew near, the 
Gannet endeavoured to escape by swimming ; but made no attempt 
either to dive or to use its wings. After a pretty long chase, the 
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