BIRDS. '"^^^ 



sessed of a transparent membrane under the eye-lid, with which 

 it covers the whole eye at pleasure, without obscuring the sight 

 m the smallest degree. 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 head- 

 long down from a height of a hundred feet or more into the wa- 

 ter 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 

 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, dif- 

 fer 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 pro- 

 prietor; 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 jirofit by the sale. 



CHAP. VI. 



OV THE SMALLER GULLS ANU PETRELS. 



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

 those of the smaller kinds may be easily inferred. They resem- 



) Mr IViinant says, that one of those birds flyiriff over IVn/.iiiioe in Corn, 

 wall, saw sonic pilcliards lying on a fir pliinit, where tliey had been pliiced 

 for cnrintr ; and dartiiiff itself down with great violence, it struck its biU 

 quite tlirougli an inch and (iiuirter plank : it was Killi'd on the spot 



