GANNET. 385 



HOODED MERGANSER. 



MERGUS CUCULLATUS. 



Genus MERGUS. 

 A very rare occasional visitor. 



SMEW. 



MERGUS ALBELLUS. 



Genus MERGUS. 

 White Nim Smee White-headed Merganser. 



A rare winter visitor, most frequent on the east 

 coast. 



GANNET. 



SULA BASSANA. 



Family PELECONID^;. Genus SULA. 

 Solan Goose. 



This bird is a resident one, but very local, having 

 some half-dozen colonies where it breeds, among 

 these being the Bass Rock, Ailsa Craig, Sulisker in 

 the Hebrides, and Lundy Island. In the former of 

 these it breeds in immense numbers, every available 

 ledge of rock where a nest can be placed being 

 occupied by a sitting bird. 



These birds are mostly on the wing, moving with 

 powerful flight over the water on the look-out for food ; 

 this consists of various kinds of fish, such as herring, 

 whiting, mackerel, etc. When about to seize on of 

 these, the Gannet drops like a stone with a splash 



25 



