COMMON GANNET. 237 
toes light greenish-blue ; claws greyish-white. The general colour of 
the plumage is white; the upper part of the head and the hind neck 
of a fine buff colour. Primary quills brownish-black, their shafts white 
toward the base. 
Length to end of tail 403 inches, to end of wings 381, to end of 
claws 41; extent of wings 75; wing from flexure 203; tail 10; bill 
along the ridge 4, along the edge of lower mandible 6; tarsus 2343 
first toe and claw 14; middle toe 33%, its claw 7%; outer toe 383; its 
claw jy. Weight 7 lb. 
The Female is similar to the male, but rather smaller. 
Young fully fledged. Plate CCCXXVI. Fig. 2. 
Bill light greyish-brown ; the bare space around the eye pale grey- 
ish-blue. Iris green. Feet dusky, the narrow bands of scutella pale 
greyish-blue ; claws greyish-white. The head, neck, and upper parts 
are chocolate brown, each feather with a terminal narrow triangular 
white spot; the lower parts greyish-white, spotted with greyish-brown ; 
each feather having a broad terminal margin of that colour. The 
quills and tail-feathers are brownish-black. An individual shot in Oc- 
tober measured as follows :— 
Length to end of tail 38 inches, to end of claws 323; extent of 
wings 72. Weight 3 lb. 40z. This individual, however, was very 
poor. 
Three individuals shot in the neighbourhood of Boston, Massachu- 
setts, presented the following dimensions, which are here given as indi- 
cative of the difference of size frequently observed :— 
Length to end of tail, ; 383 383 ah 
BAO Ps sidins gece as a wings, . 37} 374 35 
SOAR o eae eee claws, . 341 34t 33 
Extent of wings, : 733 72 681 
Wing from flexure, . ; ee 173 191 
An adult Male killed near Boston. The cellular tissue of the back 
exhibits vacuities of very large size, intervening between the skin and 
the muscles: one, at the lower part of the neck behind, being 5 inches 
in length; another 54 inches long, extending from the furcula down 
