SULA FIREK. 405 



he rapidly exchanged, while each vociferously proclaimed its rights. The noise of the strife 

 frequently attracted (he attention of the birds which were in the immediate vicinity, aind 

 sometimes :i third, or even a fourth, evidently mates of the contesting parties, would join 

 in the fray, until two, locking bills, would pull and tug for a time, then, losing their foot- 

 ing, roll over and over, for the shel^was an inclined plane, until reaching the edge of the 

 elill, they would go down still clinging to each other. When falling, they seldom endeav- 

 ored to spread their wings, but striking violently upon some projecting rock, would bound 

 oil' and drop half stunned into the water far beneath. The Murres were breeding in close 

 proximity to this place and if one chanced to approach to near the irritable Gannets, it was 

 seized by the neck and unceremoniously dropped over the precipice. 



I found that the Gannets which occupied the rocky shelves, were quite bold and when 

 I endeavored to make my way along the slippery ledgeg, supported by a rope, they would 

 attempt to dispute my passage, striking out fiercely at me with their strong bills. The 

 young Gannets, of which their were several on the shelves, are naked when hatched and 

 very helpless, being fed by regurgitation. Fishes are taken into the stomach of the parent 

 and reduced into a perfectly transparent fluid which is somewhat gelatinous, and which is 

 ejected in small quantities into the mouths of the offspring; then when a little older they 

 eat hall' digested fish. Mackerel appeared to form the principal diet of the Gannets while 

 I remained in the Gulf of St Lawrence, and the birds capture these agile fishes by flying 

 over the water to the height of fifty feet or more, then diving when they perceive one in 

 the proper position to secure, often becoming submerged for some minutes after the plunge. 

 Their prey which is swallowed whole and often living, is frequently very large, and I have 

 seen mackerel at least eighteen inches long, lying upon the rocks where they had been dis- 

 gorged. Although the Gannets are heavy birds, they ride lightly upon the water, as they 

 are provided with large air-cells that are situated along their sides, between the skin and 

 body, and can be inflated at will. Bird Rock is the southernmost breeding ground of this 

 species on our coast and probably the largest, for I estimated that there were, at least, 

 twenty thousand Gannets nesting on the great and lesser rocks. They winter along the 

 coast from New Jersey to the Gulf of Mexico. 



SULA- FIBER. 



Booby Gannct. 



Sulafiber law., Birds, N. A.; 1858,872. 



I>ESCKIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, rather robust. Size, not large. COLOR. Adult. The head and neck all around and upper parts, 

 dork-brown, tinged with aby. White below. Iris, white, bill, naked space about head, and feet, yellow. Youny, ashy- 

 brown throughout, lighter beneath. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Easily recognized by the small size, and brown, unspotted upper parts. Occurs on the coast of Florida. Constantly 

 resident on the Bahamas. Accidental as far north as Massachusetts. 



DIMENSlnXS. 



Average measurements of sprc'imeni. Length, 30 SO; stretch, 4TOO; wing, l. r > - 7. r >; tail, H'2. r >; hill, 3'75; tarsus, I'OO. 

 l.<>iii:<--t sTieeimen, :tl (HI; greatest extent of wing, 43'(K); longest wing. Ki'.'iO; tail. H 50; bill, 3'UO; tarsus, I'TJ. ShorUwt 

 specimen, :t<l-lM>; smallest extent of wing, 40'IKI; shortest wing. l.VOO; tail, H'lKI; bill, 3'tJO; tarsus, P48. 



IMLSCKIITION OF NKSTS AND KliiiS. 



Eyys, usually plan*! on the linked ground or rock, one or two in luinilicT, oval in fowl, greenish-blue in color. Di- 

 from l'50.\-' !."> to l'SH.\s2-65. 



50 



