GANNET. 



SULA BASSANA [Linn.). 



Pelecanus bassanus, lAnn. S. N. i. p. 217 (1766). 

 Dysporus bassanus, Naum. xi. p. 14. 



Sula bassana, Macg. v. p. 405 ; Hewitson, ii. p. 474 ; Yarr. 

 ed. 4, iv. p. 155 ; Dresser, vi. p. 181. 



Fou de Bassan, French; Bass-Tolpel, Soland-Gans, Weisse 

 Side, German ; Alcatraz, Alcatrdn, Spanish. 



The Gannet breeds in very large numbers on certain 

 isolated rocks off the coasts of Scotland and Ireland, 

 and also on Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel ; but 

 as I have never been at or near any of these breeding- 

 stations dui'ing the breeding-season, I must refer my 

 readers to other authors for details of the nesting-habits 

 of the bird, merely stating that I have good reason to 

 believe that some Gannets habitually breed on the coast 

 of Portugal, though I am not aware that there is any 

 authentic record in confirmation of my opinion. A few 

 Gannets may be seen at almost all times of the year 

 in the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay, and off the 

 Atlantic coast as far west as Gibraltar, and occasionally 

 in the great western basin of the I\Iediterranean, but 

 may be considered as rare birds to the westward of 



