Class II. GANNET CORVORANT. QQS 



XV all, he never had an opportunity of seeing 

 that bird, except flying ; and in the air, it has 

 the appearance of a gull. On that supposition 

 he gave our Skua, p. 174. the title oi Cataracta, 

 a name borrowed from Aristotle,* and which ad- 

 mirably expresses the rapid descent of this bird 

 on its prey. Mr. Moyle first detected this 

 mistake ;t and the Rev. Doctor JVilliam Bor- 

 lase, by presenting us with a fine specimen of 

 this bird, confirms the opinion of Mr. Moyle ; 

 at the same time he favored us with so accu- 

 rate an account of some part of the natural 

 history of this bird, that we shall use the liberty 

 he indulged us with, of adding it to this de- 

 scription. :?WS l,XAr- . i,c 



*' The Gannet comes on the coasts of Corn- 

 ' wall in the latter end of summer, or begin- 

 ' ning of autumn ; hovering over the shoals of 

 ' pilchards that come down to us through *S'^. 

 ' George's Channel from the northern seas. 

 ' The Gannet seldom comes near the land, but 

 ' is constant to its prey, a sure sign to the 

 ' fishermen that the pilchards are on the coasts ; 

 ' and when the pilchards retire, generally about 

 ' the end of November, the Gannets are seen 

 ' no more. The bird now sent was killed at 



* Page 1045. f Moyle s Works, i. 424. 



