SULA 8 ASS ANA. 4C3 



The oesophagus is straight. Proventriculus, large and wide, with the "lauds arranged 

 iu a very wide, zonular bar.d Stomach, rather small and not muscular. Cocoa, quite 

 small. Keel, projected forward and occupies only about one hall' the length of the ster- 

 num. Furcula, quite vcrtiole in position. Posterior margin of sternum, deeply indented 

 in which are two small scallops. Tail, long and pointed. 



CENUS I. SULA. THE GANNETS 



GEN. Cll. Similar to those given under Family heading. Sexes, similar. There S^ two species within our limits. 



SULA BASSANA. 



Oannet. 

 Sula banana BRISS., Orn. 1760. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Cii. Form, robust. Size, large. COLOR. Adult. White throughout, becoming huffy-yellow on head and hind 

 neck. Primaries and -|iurious wing, dark-brown. Bill, bluish, iris, bliiislwwhite, feet, brownish lined with greenish-blue, 

 and naked <|iaee about head, dark-bluish. Young. Dark-brown above, each feather terminating with a triangular patch 

 of white. Beneath, ashy-white mottled with dusky. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Known by the large size, pointed bill, and general white colors. Distributed in summer from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 northward; wintering from Florida to the Carolina*. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 3H'25; stretch, 73'50; wing, 18-60; tail, 9-50; bill, 

 375; tarsus, S' 13. Longest specimen, 40'50; greatest extent of wing, 7a'00; longest wing, I9'50: tail. lO'OO; bill, 4'00: tarsus, 

 2"25. Shortest specimen, 38'UO; smallest extent of wing, 7<!'00; shortest wing, 17 - 50; tail, U'OO; bill, 3'50; tarsus, 2-00. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed on rocky cliffs, composed of sea-weeds. Egyi, one or two in number, oval in form, and greenish-blue 

 in color, covered with a calcareous deposit. Dimensions from I'80x3'00 Jo 2'lOx3'30. 



HABITS. 



Twelve miles to the northward of the Magdalen group, is a little islet known as Bird 

 Rock, while about half a mile to the south-west, is a rather smaller rock, called the Little 

 Bird, and a chain of submerged reefs extend between the two. As there is a strong cur- 

 rent sweeping across this hidden ledge at certain times, the place is considered very dan- 

 gerous by the rather timid Gshermen who sail from the neighboring ports. One day in 

 June, 1872, I stood on the northern end of Bryon Island and gazed with longing eyes at 

 a little white spot, twelve miles away, which I knew was the celebrated Bird Rock, but 

 owing to the disreputable name which these rocks have justly acquired among fishermen, 

 it was not until several days later, that in company with two friends, I found myself on 

 board a little schooner, bound for the spot whereon I had fixed my desires. We started ear- 

 ly in the morning but it was three o'clock in the afternoon before we reached the place, 

 for the wind was light. In spite of this, however, there was quite a surf dashing up the 

 clifts, which ;>o alarmed our timid captain that he would not allow the schooner to go very 

 near, but anchored a quarter of a mile away. 



The fog through which we had hitherto been sailing, scaled off at this moment, dis- 

 closing to our gaze one of the grandest sights that we ever beheld, for directly in front of 

 us, rose a huge, rocky bastion, the precipitous sides of which were occupied by myriads of 

 Awks, Guillemots, and Pullins, thousands of snowy plumaged Gannets floated in air over 

 the high clifts, while the water below was thickly dotted with various species. After this 

 display, we were exceedingly anxious to land, but our skipper took his time, yet at last, 

 we >lood mi a sandy beach, at the foot of the perfectly perpendicular Hill's which rose a 

 hundred and fifty feet over our heads; thus we would have hud the utmost dilliciilty in 



