Vol. XXXIl 



1914 



J Recent Literature. 107 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Gurney's 'The Gannet.' * — It is refreshing to be able to turn from the 

 multitude of faunal papers and diagnoses of new subspecies which make up 

 such a large proportion of the ornithological literature of the day, to a work 

 dealing exclusively with a single species, but treating it exhaustively from 

 practically every point of view. Such a work is Mr. Gurney's portly 

 volume on the Gannet. With an interest aroused nearly fifty years ago the 

 author has lost no opportunity to add to his stock of information concerning 

 this interesting bird until he has been able to compile a work which for 

 years to come will be our chief work of reference for this species. He has 

 delved into the works of old voyagers and explorers and into ancient 

 historic volumes for the hidden lore that they contain; visited most of the 

 existing colonies of Gannets, conducted correspondence with hosts of 

 persons acquainted with the bird in life as well as those conversant with 

 its history in the past and studied all the scientific literature deaUng with it. 



The Chapter headings from which one may gain some idea of the scope 

 of the work are: I. Names of the Gannet; II. Distribution; III-IX. 

 Descriptions of the present colonies; X. Abandoned Breeding Colonies; 

 XI. Numbers; XII. Nidification; XIII. Nestling; XIV. Habits; XV. 

 Food; XVI. Flight; XVII. MortaHty; XVIII. Age; XIX. Gannets as 

 Food; XX. Plumage; XXI. Osteology; XXII. Anatomy. There are 

 also; a historical preface, introduction, bibliography and five appendices 

 dealing with allied species, tropical Boobies, parasites, historic and pre- 

 historic remains and fossils. Mr. Gurney has well called the Gannet ' a 

 bird with a history ' and the historic portions of his monogi-aph are most 

 interesting reading, particularly the quotations from Martin Martin, 

 Gent., who in 1698 published an account of a voyage that he had made to 

 "St. Kilda the remotest of all the Hebrides" and whose account of the 

 Gannet is considered by Mr. Gurney to be one of the best that has been 

 published. Martin moreover has much of interest to say on other species 

 besides Gannets. He tells us that he and his crew were made most 

 welcome on their arrival and were liberally supplied with eggs mainly those 

 of the Guillemot. During their three weeks' stay they consumed 16,000 or 

 18 eggs per diem for each man. Our author remarks that " One wonders 

 not so much at the islanders collecting 16,000 eggs, which would be an easy 

 task, as at the capacity which Martin and his crew possessed to eat so 

 many." 



1 The Gannet | A Bird With a History | By 1 J. H. Gurney, F. Z. S. | Author of 

 "A Catalogue of the Birds of Prey (Accipitres and | Strigos), with the number 

 of Specimens in Norwich Museum." | Illustrated with numerous Photographs, 

 Maps and Drawings, and one Colored Plate by Joseph Wolf | Witherby & Co.] 

 326 High Holbom, London | 1913. 8vo. pp. i-Ii + 1-567. Price 25s. net. 



