242 THE MAN-OF-WAR BIRDS AND CORY's GANNET. 



that the gannet will only give up one of its fish, hoping to escape while 

 its persecutors are after its prey and gain a point over the land, where it 

 is seldom molested, especially if flying low, as the man- of- wars cannot pick up 

 the fish from the ground. In case only one fish is dropped, the piratical 

 birdg perceive at once that they are being deprived of a part of their booty, 

 and quickly continue the pursuit. They evidently demand all the gannet has 

 to spare for its young, for a bird robbed of both fishes, at once turns and flies 

 out to sea again for more. 



I say it is rare for the man-of-wars to pursue a gannet over the land, 

 but I saw one so pursued, on one occasion, and it was so hard pressed that 

 it fell upon the ground. It is impossible for a gannet to gain wing from 

 the ground, and they usually scramble along with the aid of wings and feet 

 until they reach some bushes, into which they climb and from the top of 

 which they launch out. 



The instinct for avoiding all land, excepting the section occupied by the 

 breeding ground and space immediately in front of it, between it and the 

 water, is most peculiar, inasmuch as it submits the gannets to much persecu- 

 tion from the man-of-wars that might be avoided. Thus gannets returning 

 from fishing on the north side of the island, flying as they often do, at the 

 height of a thousand feet, must see the gannetry on the south side long be- 

 fore they reach the border ot the land opposite it. In fact they probably do 

 see it, for I have frequently observed them, especially at night when com- 

 panies are returning to roost, come , nearly over the shore in front of my 

 house, which stood opposite the breeding ground, when one, evidently the lead- 

 er of the party, would give a cry and dart away from the land, often flying a 

 quarter of a mile to sea, instantly followed by the others. Then all would skirt 

 the key around the west end, to the gannetry, and thus run the gantlet of 

 the cordon of man-of-wars, when they could have crossed the mile of coun- 

 try between the shore ^nd the gannetry, in a few moments, and not have 

 been disturbed at all by their enemies. In passing to and from their fishing 

 grounds, which are always in blue water, the gannets fly in long lines, or more 

 rarely in wedges, something after the manner of our wild goose, but the lines are 

 not maintained as perfectly as in that species. 



Cory's gannets are very ^peacable birds, seldom quarreling among them- 

 selves ; in fact, I never saw them even attempt to attack the man-of-wars 

 that were breeding in the margin of the swamp, with their nests often on the 

 same tree with those of the gannets. The young of both species appear to live 

 on perfectly good terms, and two that I had, became quite attached to one an- 

 other. 



