323 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Superiority of sight. 



tinues to breed till the end of summer. But, in 

 general, its motions are determined by tbe migra- 

 tions of the immense shoal of herrings that come 

 pouring down at that season through the British 

 Channel, and supply all Europe as well as this 

 bird with their spoil. The gannet assiduously 

 attends the shoal in their passage, keeps with 

 them in their whole circuit round our island, and 

 shares with our fishermen this exhaustless ban- 

 quet. As it is strong of wing, it never comes 

 near the land, but is constant to its prey. Where- 

 ever the gannet is seen, it is sure to announce to 

 the fishermen the arrival of the finny tribe; they 

 then prepare their nets, and take the herrings by 

 millions at a draught; while the gannet, who 

 came to give the first information, comes, though 

 an unbidden guest, and snatches its prey from the 

 fisherman even in his boat. While the fishing 

 season continues^ the gannets are busily em- 

 ployed : but when the pilchards disappear from 

 our coasts, the gaonet takes its leave to keep 

 them company. 



The cormorant has been remarked for the 

 quickness of his sight; yet in this the gannet 

 seems to exceed him. It is possessed of a trans- 

 parent membrane under the eye-lid, with which 

 it covers the whole eye at pleasure, without ob- 

 scuring the sight in the smallest degree. This 

 seems a necessary provision for the security of 

 the eyes of so weighty a creature, whose method 

 of taking prey, like that of the cormorant,, is by 

 3 



