WATER-FOWL. 201 



tht 1 finny tribe : they then prepare their nets, and take the herrings 

 by millions at a draught ; while the gannet, who came to give the 

 first information, comes, though an unbidden guest, and often snatches 

 its prey from the fisherman even in his boat. While the fishing sea- 

 son continues, the gannets are busily employed ; but when the pil 

 chards disappear from our coasts, the gannet takes its leave to keep 

 them company. 



The cormorant has been remarked for the quickness of his sight-, 

 yet in this the gannet seems to exceed him. It is possessed of a 

 transparent membrane under the eyelid, with which it covers the 

 whole eye at pleasure, without obscuring the sight in the smallest de- 

 gree. This seems a necessary provision for the security of the eyes 

 of so weighty a creature, whose method of taking its prey, like that 

 of the cormorant, is by darting headlong down from a height of a 

 hundred feet or more into the water to seize it. These birds are 

 sometimes taken at sea, by fastening a pilchard to a board, which they 

 leave floating. The gannet instantly pounces down from above upon 

 the board, and is killed or maimed by the shock of a body where it 

 expected no resistance.* 



These birds breed but once a year, and lay but one egg, which be- 

 ing taken away, they lay another ; if that is also taken, then a third ; 

 but never more for that season. Their egg is white, and rather less 

 than that of the common goose ; and their nest large, composed of 

 such substances as are found floating on the surface of the sea. The 

 young birds, during the first year, differ greatly in colour from the 

 old ones ; being of a dusky hue, speckled with numerous triangular 

 white spots ; and at that time resembling the colours of the speckled 

 diver. 



The Bass island, where they chiefly breed, belongs to one proprie- 

 tor ; so that care is taken never to fright away the birds when laying, 

 or to shoot them upon the wing. By that means, they are so confi- 

 dent as to alight and feed their young ones close beside you. They 

 feed only uponfish, as was observed ; yet the young gannet is count- 

 ed a great dainty by the Scots, and is sold very dear ; so that the lord 

 of the islet makes a considerable annual profit by the sale. 



CHAPTER VI. 



OF THE SMALLER GULLS AND PETRELS. 



HAVING described the manners of the great ones of this tribe, 

 those of the smaller kinds may be easily inferred. They resemble the 



* Mr. Pennant says, that one of these birds flying over Penzance in Cornwall, sa* 

 Borne pilchards lying on a fir plank, where they had been placed for curing ; and 

 darting itself down with great violence, it struck its bill quite thrngh an inch and 

 quarter plank : it was killed on tho spot. 

 VOL. III. R 



