THE GAXXET, OR SOLAN GOOSE. 



307 



Killed by the inhabitants for food. Allowing that the birds remain 

 in this part of the country about six mouths in the year, and thut each 

 bird destroys five Herrings in a day, which is considerably less than 

 the average, we have at least ninety millions of the finest tishts in the 

 w-rld annually devoured by a single species of Saint Kilda Birds. 



The Gannets frequent nearly all the Hebrides, and are sometimes 



ii3tm on the Cornish Coast ; but they seldom occur in any other parts 



of Kurope. They are migratory ; and first appear in the above islands 



bout the month of March : they remain till August or September. 



They build their nest on the highest and steepest rocks they can 



find near t h o 

 sea; laying-, if 

 undisturbed, 

 only one egg in 

 the year ; I ut 

 if that be take n 

 away, they will 

 lay another, and 

 if that be al.'o 

 taken, a third, 

 but never 11:010 

 in the same sea- 

 son. The e<.'o- 

 is Mhite, end is 

 rather smaller 

 than that of the 

 Goose. The 

 nests are com- 

 posed of grass, 

 sea plants, or 

 any refuse fitted 

 for the purpose 

 that the birds 

 find floating on 

 the water. The 

 young Gannets, 

 during the first 

 year, d i if e r 

 greatly from the 

 old ones; for 

 they are of a 

 dusky hue. 



These birds, when they pass from place to place, unite in small 

 flocks of from five to fifteen; and, except in very fine weather, they 

 fly low, near the shore, but never pass over it ; doubling the capes and 

 projecting parts, and keeping at nearly an equal distance from the 

 land. During their fishing they rise high into the air, and sail aloft 

 over the shoals of Herrings or Pilchards, much in the manner of Kile*.' 

 When they observe the shoal crowded thick together, they close iheir 

 wiugs to their sides, and precipitate themselves, head foremost iuta 



CATCHING GANNETS. 



