54 COMMON GANNET. 



between the bill and the eye, surrounding the latter, and extending an inch 

 behind the angle of the mouth. The gular membrane also bare for a small 

 breadth, extending two inches beyond the base of the mandible. About a 

 quarter of an inch of the tibia bare. Wings very long, narrow, acute; pri- 

 maries strong, narrow, tapering rapidly to a rounded point; first longest, 

 second about a quarter of an inch shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secon- 

 daries short, rather broad, rounded, with a minute acumen. Tail rather long, 

 cuneate, of twelve narrow tapering feathers. 



Bill pale bluish-grey, tinged with green towards the base; the lines on the 

 upper mandible blackish-blue; the bare space about the eye, and that on the 

 throat, blackish-blue. Iris white. Tarsi, toes, and webs, brownish-black, 

 the bands of narrow scutella on the tarsus and 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 brown- 

 ish-black, their shafts white toward the base. 



Length to end of tail 40^ inches, to end of wings 384, to end of claws 41; 

 extent of wings 75; wing from flexure 20§; tail 10; bill along the ridge 4, 

 along the edge of lower mandible 6; tarsus 2f^; first toe and claw li; mid- 

 dle toe 3 T 8 2, its claw ^ outer toe 3|§; its claw T 4 3 . Weight 7 lbs. 



The Female is similar to the male, but rather smaller. 



Young fully fledged. 



Bill light greyish-brown; the bare space around the eye pale greyish-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 October measured as follows: — 



Length to end of tail 3S inches, to end of claws 32^; extent of wings 72. 

 Weight 3 lbs. 4 oz. This individual, however, was very poor. 



Three individuals shot in the neighbourhood of Boston, Massachusetts, 

 presented the following dimensions, which are here given as indicative of 

 the difference of size frequently observed: — 

 Length to end of tail, 



,viij »^ 



claws, 



Extent of wings, 



Wing from flexure, . 

 An adult Male killed near Boston. The cellular tissue of the back exhi- 

 bits vacuities of very large size, intervening between the skin and the mus- 

 cles: one, at the lower part of the neck behind, being 5 inches in length; 



38| 



38| 



37 



37^ 



37| 



35 



34i 



34| 



33 



731 



72 



6S£ 



19£ 



17! 



1 '2 



IH 



