34 Notes on tJie Solan-Goose. [Sess. 



fish was secured, was sunk a little below the surface. As will 

 be understood, owing to the force with which the bird descends 

 when plunging into the water, the impact against the board 

 must inevitably prove fatal. I have never seen it used, and 

 I hope that such a meaningless murdering device does not 

 often prove successful. Possibly some of the members may 

 have seen it used, and can give us information. 



Several naturalists, including Selby and Morris, state that 

 the gannet is a long-lived bird, seeing that some, " recognised 

 from particular marks, have been observed to return to the 

 same stations for forty- eight years." How far this may be 

 accurate is of course difficult to say, but most large birds are 

 long-lived. I can remember, when a boy, of a swan being 

 shot on the Hirsel Loch for being tyrannical to others : it was 

 forty years old, and had always been characterised as "the 

 young one." This bird was set up by the late Mr Belloe, 

 taxidermist, Coldstream, and in the arrogance of youth its 

 great age surprised me much at the time. 



It is now, I think, over a quarter of a century since I took 

 a young eagle from an eyrie in Strathconan Forest, which on 

 more than one occasion I exhibited at meetings of this Society. 

 The bird is still in beautiful plumage and exceedingly healthy. 



My friend Mr Dewar some years ago possessed a large 

 cockatoo, and had proof when he got it that it was a hundred 

 and seven years of age, and it lived other seven years with 

 him. It may therefore be safely assumed that gannets are 

 long-lived birds. 



Gannets lay but one egg, which though white has a bluish 

 tinge. Naturalists, including the Eev. Mr Morris, say that 

 the period of incubation is " about six weeks." This, however, 

 is difficult to believe, as the common goose, a much larger 

 bird, does not incubate for nearly that time. When hatched, 

 the young bird is a dark - bluish indescribable colour, but 

 quickly assumes a dress of white down. At a year old it is 

 not the least like an adult bird [a noticeable feature of the 

 specimen which Mr Speedy exhibited]. The light colour in- 

 creases with every moult, but adult plumage is not attained 

 till the fourth year. 



A two-year-old bird may be seen on the pond at the base 

 of Blackford Hill, having been placed there, along with a 



