COMMON GANNET. 53 



abundant, disagreeable to the eye as well as the nose; its gait is awkward; 

 and even its pale owl-like eyes glare on you with an unpleasant expression. 

 Add to this, the expense of its food, and I can easily conceive that you will 

 not give it a place in your aviary, unless for the mere amusement of seeing 

 it catch the food thrown to it, which it does like a dog. 



The feathers of the lower parts of the Gannet differ from those of most 

 other birds, in being extremely convex externally, which gives the bird the 

 appearance of being covered beneath with light shell-work, exceedingly diffi- 

 cult to be represented in a drawing. 



Sula bassana, Bonap. Syn., p. 408. 



Gannet, Sula bassana, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 495. 



Common Gannet, Sula bassana, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 222. 



Adult, 40|-, 75. Young fledged, 38, 72. 



Ranges southward off the coast at all seasons as far as the Gulf of Mexico. 

 Breeds on rocks on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and off the coast of Labrador. 

 Abundant. Migratory. 



Adult Male. 



Bill longer than the head, opening beyond the eyes, straight, elongated- 

 conical, moderately compressed. Upper mandible with the dorsal line 

 straight and declinate, at the end convex and a little decurved; ridge very 

 broad, convex, with a slight median carina, and separated on each side, from 

 the sides, which are nearly perpendicular, slightly convex, and have an addi- 

 tional narrow jointed piece below the eye; edges sharp, direct, irregularly 

 serrate, with numerous slender cuts directed backwards; tip compressed, a 

 little decurved, rather acute. No external nostrils. Lower mandible with 

 the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line straight, ascending, the sides 

 erect, convex, the edges sharp and serrated, the tip compressed and sharp. 



Head large; neck of moderate length and very thick, body of moderate 

 bulk, rather elongated; wings long. Feet short, strong, placed rather far 

 behind; tibiae concealed; tarsus very short, rounded before, sharp behind, at 

 its upper part anteriorly with rather large roundish-flat scales, in the rest of 

 its extent with very small oblong tubercles; anteriorly there are three lines 

 of small transversely oblong scutella, which run down the toes. The latter 

 are long and slender, all united by membranes, which are reticularly granu- 

 lated, and have their margins straight; first toe rather small, directed inwards 

 and forwards, middle toe longest, the outer almost equal. Claws of mode- 

 rate size, slightly arched, those of the first and middle toes depressed, the 

 latter with its inner edge thin and pectinated. 



Plumage generally close, rather compact, the feathers small and rounded; 

 those on the head and neck blended and slightly glossed. A bare space 



