SrLlDvK — TIIK (lANXKTS — SUI-A. 



175 



(iauiu't. when' it Imilds in {jn'iit muiilM'rs. St. Kilda, th»' (lutormost of tli« Ilflnidcs, 

 the sides of wliicli aiv iirt'('ii»it(iiis clitt's fourtcfii liiindivd fo-t hi^di, is aiiotluT jdiicf 

 wlitn- till' (iaiiiit't hrt-cds in larp- luiialx-rs, and wlit'n> it tonus uuu of the priiiciiiid 

 siiui'C(>s of tho sustt'iiaiirc of tlif inhal)itaiits. 



(iaiincts al.su al>ound on m>vt'ral of thi> islands on tho south of Icidand. TIhtu 

 tliiv airivf «'arly in April, and l»\iild lar^'c and eonsijicuous nests of seaweed, whieh 

 they often hiinj,' fi'om n gieat distance. 'Die e^ns are (U'lKJsited in May, and hatched 

 ill .July. The (Jaunets leave for the south in OetoluT. 



'I'iiis is saitl to he a very long-lived sju'eies. Selhy was informed hy the keeper 

 (if I lie ISass Koek lighthouse that he eouhl reeognize curtain individuals that for 

 ii|i\vards of forty years had returned tti tho sanit? spot to breed. This liird is also 

 viiy loll},' in arriving at maturity, the time reipiirod iR'ing estimated at from four to 

 tisi' years. 



riic late Dr. Henry Uryaiit visited the "IMrd Hocks.'' in the (Julf of St, Law- 

 niii'i', in the sumiiier of IHfy), reaching them on the 'JM tdJune. These rocks are 

 two ill niiniher, and are known as the (ireat (lannet Itock and the Little, or Xorth 

 !>ii'ii. On these rocky islands he found tlie (Sannets hreeding in large numiiers. Tho 

 lii.L^iiest half of the siiniiiiil of (iaiinet Kock and the ledges on its sides, and the wliido 

 upper part of the pillar-like portion of liittlt! Kird, antl the greater ])art of the remain- 

 in;,' portion of this rock, were covered with the nests of the (Junnet. On the ledges 

 till sc were arranged in single lines, nearly or ([uite touching one another; and at the 

 siiiiiiiiit they were placed at regular distances one from the other of alMiut thre*- feet. 

 Tiiosr oil the ledges Were liiiilt <'ntirely td" seaweed anil other floating siilistances; on 

 tlic siiiiiiiiit of the rock they were raised on cones, formed of earth or small stones, 

 ahoiit ten inches in height and eighteen in diameter when tirst constructed, |)resent- 

 iiig at a short distance the appearance of a well-hilled potato-Held. He saw no nests 

 liiiill u{' /iisti-ni, ^)r grass, or sods; the materials were almost entirely Fur!; though 

 aiivliiiiig availahle was prolialily used. In one ca.se the whole nest was com|io.sed of 

 straw ; and in another, tho ehiof artiide used was manila ro|H>-yarn. The nests on 

 tlic siiiiiniit of (iaiiiiel ISock were never scattered, luit ended aliriiptly in as regular a 

 line as a military encampment. Through the midst nf the nests were several open 

 spaces, like lanes, made ipiile smooth liy the continued trampling of the liirds, which 

 spaces seemed to lie used for play -grounds, and generally extended to the brink of 

 till' precipice. 



Tlic liiids were feeding luincipaliy on lieiring, Init also on capelin lilleil with 

 spawn, somo line-looking mackerel, a few sipiids, and in oiii' instance a tmllish 

 \vci,'liiiig at least two pounds. The surface was swarming \\ ith a species of Sfn/t/iif- 

 liini.s, tiiat siiiisisted on the tisli drop|iei| by the birds, nceasionally a nest Could be 

 seen in which the single egg had not lieeii deposited, and perhaps one in two or three 

 liiindied with a newly laid one. On all the rest the tianncts were already sitting; 

 anil tliniii,'li none of the eggs were as yet hatched, many of them contained fully 

 tiiniied eliii'ks. On being approached the birds manifested but slight symptoms of 

 till, and could hardly be driven from their nests j occasionally one more lH>ld would 

 ailnally attack the intruder. Their number on the summit could be easily deter- 

 iiiinnl by iiieasiMing the surface occupied by them. I'y a itiiigh computation it was 

 iiiailc to be about tifty thousand |iairs. Probably half as many more were breeding 

 iipiiii the remaining portion of the rock and on the l^ittle Kird. All the birds were 

 in aiiiilt plumage; dilTering in this respect from tliose breeding in tlic Itay of I'unily, 

 wliiie there were many young ones. 



In siiajie and general appearance the eggs obtained by Dr. Hryant uri' more like 



^.^LMim 



