240 THE MAN-OF-WAR BIRDS AND CORy's GAKNET. 



doing his best to impede my progress. Or one near which I was passing, 

 would reach out and catching my hat by the brim would pull it off, then 

 drop it on the ground. 



When in the down, the young gannets are exceedingly playful, and a 

 tine one that I carried to my house on the opposite side of the island, that 

 was nearly, or quite, as large as the adults would play with small sticks by 

 balancing them in his bill, and would then pile them nest fashion on the 

 box in which he sat. Young birds in the gannetry would also often play 

 with a noose that I always carried dangling from the end of a pole, in order 

 to catch any bird that I wished to examine, whenever I put it within their 

 reach. 



The young of all sizes cling to the trees very tenaciously and the older 

 nestlings climb well, aiding themselves with bill and feet, but the short, 

 nearly rudimentary, wings are never used for this purpose, as they are evi- 

 dently easily injured. 



The newly hatched gannets are fed at first by true regurgitation, that 

 . is the fish eaten by the parents is converted into a peculiar glairy fluid which 

 is given to the young. The old birds introduce the terminal portion of the 

 bill into the mouths of their offspring and the liquid is literally poured down 

 their throats. Later the fish is given to the young in half digested fragments 

 and in the same manner, then the size of the pieces is gradually increased, 

 until finally whole fish are disgorged for them. In all cases the fish are 

 swallowed by the adults and so carried to the gannetry. 



The young remain in the nests until two thirds grown, then leave them 

 and perch on the branches near. Here they remain until wholly fledged, 

 and evidently for some time after. In fact, they appear to fly with consid- 

 erable reluctance, sitting on the branches long after they are capable of using 

 their wings. I have often taken such birds in my hands and by tossing 

 fhem gently into air, induced them to take wing, and in all cases, when 

 once launched, they would fly readily, frequently keeping in air for some 

 time. On several occasions, I have seen the adult gannets trying to ccmpel 

 their young to take wing, by flying against them in order to push them 

 from the branch, the young remonstrating by struggling and screaming lust- 

 ily, but the parent would invariably accomplish its object after a trial or 

 two. 



The cry of the young to the parents, when they desire food, is a kind 

 of chatter, much like that emitted by young herons, under similar ciicum- 

 stances. When annoyed they will give a harsh squeak and at the same 

 time will launch out the bill at the intruder. As in all birds, there is a large 

 amount of individual variation in respect to disposition ; some being very 



