WATER FOWL. 379 



are so confident as to alight and feed their young 

 ones close beside you. They feed only upon fish, 

 as was observed ; yet the young gannet is count- 

 ed a great dainty by the Scots, and sold very 

 dear ; so that the lord of the islet makes a con- 

 siderable annual profit by the sale. 



CHAPTER VT. 



OF 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 more power- 

 ful in their appetites for prey, but have not such 

 certain methods of obtaining it. In general, 

 therefore, the industry of this tribe and their au- 

 dacity increase in proportion to their imbecility : 

 the great gulls live at the most remote distance 

 from man; the smaller are obliged to reside 

 wherever they can take their prey, and to come 

 into the most populous places when solitude can 

 no longer grant them a supply. In this class we 

 may place the Gull, properly so called, of which 

 there are above twenty different kinds ; the Pe- 

 trel, of which there are three ; and the Sea Swal- 

 low, of which there are as many. The gulls may 

 be distinguished by an angular knob on the lower 

 chap j the petrels by their wanting this knob ; 

 and the sea swallows by their bills, which are 



