288 
NEsT. 
GANNET CORVORANT. Crass II. 
The young birds, during the first year, differ 
greatly in color from the old ones; being of a 
dusky hue, speckled with numerous triangular 
white spots ; and at that time resemble in colors 
the speckled Diver. Each bird, if left undi- 
sturbed, would only lay one egg in the year; 
but if that be taken away, it will lay another; 
if that is also taken, then a third; but never 
more that season. A wise provision of nature, 
to prevent the extinction of the species by acci- — 
dents, and to supply food for the inhabitants 
of the places where they breed; their egg is 
white, and rather less than that of the common 
goose: the nest is large, and formed of any 
thing the bird finds floating on the water, such 
as grass, sea plants, shavings, &c. These birds 
frequent the Isle of Ailsa, in the Firth of 
Clyde; the rocks adjacent to St. Kilda, the 
Stack of Souliskery, near the Orkneys ; the Ske- 
lig Isles, off the coast of Kerry, Ireland,* and 
the Bass Isle, in the Firth of Edinburgh: 
the multitudes that inhabit these places are pro- 
digious. Dr. Harvey's elegant account of -the 
* This information we owe to that worthy prelate, the late 
Dr. Pocock, Bishop of Meath; who had visited the Skeligs. 
Mr. Smith, in his histories of Cork and Kerry, confounds this 
bird with the Gull described by Mr. Willughby; from whom 
he has evidently borrowed the whole description. 
