370 THE GANNET 



to individual, and in the case of the same individual or pair according 

 to the greater or less strength of the passing emotion. I have seen 

 a pair, on the arrival of one of them, content merely to whet their bills 

 once. Others will continue to sit side by side and wag their heads 

 somewhat perfunctorily at intervals, just when the spirit moves them. 

 The wings, again, are sometimes only half spread, and the tail action 

 less vigorous. With respect to the tail, I may add that I have no 

 record of the independent up and down movement during the beak- 

 play wagging, clacking, whetting ; it appears to be associated only 

 with the bowing movement, the tail being held stiffly deflected during 

 the beak-play. But verification is needed. 



As is the case with other species, gannets frequently display when 

 alone, and they accompany the same with the strident " urrahs /" On 

 one occasion (12th August) I saw a bird after such a display rush to 

 a crevice and pick up, or pretend to pick up, some rubbish, decayed 

 sea-weed and the like, which might have served for nest material ; it 

 then desisted, and stood looking about it for a while, suddenly to be 

 once more galvanised into a transport of bowing and beak-wagging, 

 after which another interval of repose and another outburst. The 

 bird was quite alone and near no nest. 



The sole mark of affection I saw shown by the parents for the 

 young took the form of cosseting or preening with the beak, if we 

 except the pinching and pulling of the head. Only on one occasion 

 (15th August) did I see a young gannet perform the head-wagging 

 movement. It was still in the down stage and was begging for food. 

 The wagging may have been merely a form of begging in the air, the 

 beak of the young bird not coming into touch with the beak or throat 

 of the parent in the usual way, to be described below. 



The only occasions on which I noted one of a pair displaying, 

 when its mate, though present, did not, was when the latter was 

 engaged in quitting the nest or the ledge. I use the word " engaged," 

 because the gannet's usual manner of quitting is itself a display of a 

 unique and curious kind. It is of frequent occurrence, but as it has not 



