THE GAtfNET. 321 



Voracious vet dainty. 



in a serene night. If they are viewed at a dis- 

 tance, either receding, or in their approach to 

 the island, they seem like one vast swarm of 

 bees." 



They are not less frequent upon the rocks of 

 St. Kilda. Martin assures us, that the inhabi- 

 tants of that small island consume annually near 

 twenty-three thousand young birds of this spe- 

 cies, besides an amazing quantity of their eggs. 

 On these they principally subsist throughout the 

 year; and from the number of these visitants, 

 make an estimate of their plenty for the season. 

 They preserve both the eggs and fowls in small 

 pyramidal stone buildings, covering them with 

 turf-ashes, to prevent the evaporation of their 

 moisture. These birds are very voracious, yet 

 somewhat dainty in their choice of prey, dis- 

 daining to eat any" thing worse than herrings or 

 mackerel, unless in great want. Allowing that 

 these birds remain at St. Kilda about six months 

 in the year, and that each bird destroys five her- 

 rings in a day (which is considerably less than 

 the average) we have at least ninety millions of 

 these, the finest fish in the world, devoured an- 

 nually by a single species of St. Kilda birds. 



The gannet, or Soland goose, is a bird of pas- 

 sage. In winter it seeks the more southern coasts 

 of Cornwall, hovering over the shoals of herrings 

 and pilchards that then come down from the 

 northern sea: its first appearance in the northern 

 islands is in the beginning of spring; and it con- 



VOL. iv. NO. 29. 2 s 



