46 WATER-BIEDS IN THEIR HOMES. 



are nearly closed, thus leaving little surface to bear the body 

 up, and, throwing himself headlong in the air, he falls like 

 a plummet. Just above the water the nearly closed wings are 

 flexed tight to the body to remove all resistance to the water, 

 and, with a slight splash, the gannet cleaves the water and 

 secures his prey. It is a bold but wise plan, for any swimmer 

 will tell you that in diving from a great height it is ab- 

 solutely necessary to take a perpendicular course in order not 

 to " knock the breath out of one." 



The gannet has a peculiar provision for his needs in the abun- 

 dant and very large air cells which lie like cushions between 

 his skin and his flesh, taking the place of the fat layer which 

 we find on most birds. It is supposed that these break the jar 

 of his plunge from so great a height. When the fish are 

 swimming near the surface the gannet alters his methods of 

 pursuit, flies low, and dives at a slant, knowing that he will not 

 have to use much force, nor sustain any great shock, in order 

 to penetrate the water far enough to get his prey. 



The adult gannet is pure white, with black ends to the 

 wings and a yellowish wash about the head, the only color 

 other than black, white, and brown, it may be remarked, that 

 is ever found on any of the strictly seafaring birds (the eider 

 drake only excepted), unless about their bills and feet. 



The gannets of the year are a dark brown, speckled with 

 white as if by tiny snowflakes. The baby gannet in the nest, 

 like the cormorant's young, is a naked, greasy, helpless squab, 

 very slow to learn how to care for itself, and therein entirely 

 unlike the little gulls, terns, and ducks, which chip the shell 

 only to take up active life at once. The gannets are some nine 

 or ten weeks in the nest, and at the end of eight weeks are 

 still covered with down and have wings only feebly developed. 



So slowly do they come to the possession of their wonderful 



