THE GANNET. 407 



above but with head and neck of a deeper cream, tail all white, and 

 secondaries many pure white, others (growing) parti-coloured may 

 be more forward individuals of same age as above or may be 

 birds a year older. These black secondaries seem to disappear at 

 next moult and bird is in adult plumage when either 4 or 5 years 

 old. 



Measurements and structure. — £ wing 475-510 mm., tail 180- 

 225, tarsus 56-62, bill from feathers 95-110 (14 British adults 

 measured). $ wing 475-505, bill 95-100. Primaries : 1st longest, 

 2nd equal or 5 mm. shorter, 3rd 20-25 shorter, 4th 55-65 shorter, 

 5th 95-110 shorter ; 1st to 3rd emarginated at tips of outer webs 

 and 1st and 2nd on inner webs. Secondaries short, rather broad, 

 tips obtusely rounded. Tail long, sharply graduated, 12 stiff 

 feathers, narrow and pointed, especially central pair. Bill elongated, 

 conical, gently sloping and curved, but not sharply, at tip, ridge of 

 culmen flattish, separated from sides by ' groove, near base of 

 upper mandible a transverse " hinge," cutting edges slightly serrated. 

 No external nostrils. Skin of lores, round eyes, sides of upper 

 mandible and from angle of lower mandible down chin narrowing 

 to a point bare. Feet much as in Cormorant, but third and fourth 

 toes about equal and longest (see fig. Vol. I, p. 1), claw of third 

 curved outwards and serrated on inner edge (not serrated in 

 juvenile). Under the skin a cellular tissue which, apparently, is 

 capable of inflation. 



Soft farts. — Bill (ad.) bluish-white with dark slate lines, (juv.) 

 dark horn-brown ; bare skin round eyes, eyelid, and centre of chin 

 (ad.) pale blue, (juv.) brown ; legs and feet brown-black with pale 

 blue -green lines in adult, dark grey ones in juv. ; iris (ad.) silvery- 

 white, (juv.) grey-blue. 



Characters and allied forms. — S, capensis (S. Africa) adult has 

 black- brown tail and naked patch on chin about twice as long as in 

 S. bassana. S. serrator (Australia) has black-brown middle tail- 

 feathers and deeper cream-colour on head. Cuneate tail and struc- 

 ture of bill and feet distinguish Gannet from all other British 

 birds. 



Field -characters. — Essentially maritime and a master of the air, 

 the Gannet, by reason of its great size and long narrow wings, is 

 unmistakable in flight, whether in dazzling white plumage with 

 buff head and black primaries of adult, black plumage speckled with 

 white of young, or different degrees of piedness that mark progress 

 towards maturity. When feeding, it checks its flight for a moment, 

 then plunges into the sea from a height of fifty feet, or even more. 

 In its headlong course, sometimes almost vertical, but usually 

 oblique, the wings are half closed, and, just before it strikes the 

 water with a resounding splash, are folded close to the body, the 

 bird making a half -turn during the descent. Silent as a rule, but 

 loquacious at its nesting-places, where, according to Kirkman, 

 commonest cries in a babel of guttural and discordant noises, are a 



