210 



HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



of St Kilda. Martin assures us, that the 

 inhabitants of that small island consume 

 annually near twenty-three thousand young- 

 birds of this species, besides an amazing 

 quantity of their eggs. On these they prin- 

 cipally subsist throughout the year; and from 

 the number of these visitants, make an esti- 

 mate of their plenty for the season. They 

 preserve both the eggs and fowls in small 

 pyramidal stone buildings, covering them with 

 turf ashes, to prevent the evaporation of their 

 moisture. 



The gannet is a bird of passage. In win- 

 ter it seeks the more southern coasts of Corn- 

 wall, hovering over the shoals of herrings and 

 pilchards that then come down from the nor- 

 thern seas ; its first appearance in the northern 

 islands is in the beginning of spring ; and it con- 

 tinues to breed till the end of summer. But, 

 in general, its motions are determined by the 

 migrations of the immense shoals of herrings 

 that come pouring down at that season through 

 the British Channel, and supply all Europe, 

 as well as this bird, with their spoil. The 

 gannet assiduously attends the shoal in their 

 passage, keeps with them in their whole cir- 

 cuit round our island, and shares with our fish- 

 ermen this exhaustless banquet. As it is 

 strong of wing, it never comes near the land ; 

 but is constant to its prey. Wherever the 

 gannet is seen, it is sure to antiounce to the 

 fishermen the arrival of the 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 season continues, the gan- 

 nets 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 eye-lid, with 

 which it covers the whole eye at pleasure, 

 without obscuring the sight in the smallest 

 degree. This seems a necessary provision for 

 the security of the eyes of so weighty a crea- 

 ture, 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 pil- 

 chard 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 being 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, 1 

 belongs to one proprietor ; 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 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 counted a great dainty 

 by the Scots, and is sold very dear ; so that 

 the lord of the islet makes a considerable an- 

 nual profit by the sale. 



CHAP. 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 

 more powerful in their appetites for prey, but 

 have not such certain methods of obtaining it. 

 In general, therefore, the industry of this 

 tribe, and their audacity, increase in propor- 

 tion 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 Petrel, of which there are three ; and the 

 Sea-swallow, of which there are as many. 

 The gulls may be distinguished by an angu- 

 lar knob on the lower chap ; the petrels by 

 their wanting this knob ; and the sea-swallow 

 by their bills, which are straight, slender, and 

 sharp-pointed. They all, however, agree in 

 .heir appetites, and their places of abode. 2 



Solan Geese also frequent Ailsa Craig, an insulated 

 rock in the Frith of Clyde, somewhat similar in appear- 

 ance to the Bass, but nearly double its size in circum- 

 ference and height. 



2 Besides the faculty of swimming, Petrels possess 

 that of supporting themselves on the water, by striking 

 very rapidly with their feet, which has caused them to 

 be compared to St Peter walking upon the water. 

 Hence the name. The petrels are to be seen in all 

 seas of the globe from one pole to the other. They are 

 tlie inseparable companions of mariners, during their 

 long navigations. The flight of these birds is almost al- 



