302 GANNET 
most useful in indicating to fishermen) to a great distance from land. 
Their prey is almost invariably captured by plunging upon it from 
a height, and a company of Gannets fishing presents a curious and 
interesting spectacle. Flying in single file, each bird, when it comes 
over the shoal, closes its wings and dashes perpendicularly, and 
GANNET, or SOLAN GOOSE. 
with a velocity that must be seen to be appreciated, into the waves, 
whence it emerges after a few seconds, and, shaking the water from 
its feathers, mounts in a wide curve, orderly taking its place in the 
rear of the string, to repeat its headlong plunge so soon-as it again 
finds itself above its prey.? 
1 The large number of Gannets, and the vast quantity of fish they take, have 
been frequently animadverted upon, but the computations on this last point are 
