﻿136 
  

  

  THE 
  VEETEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  " 
  DEE." 
  

  

  and 
  inland 
  lochs, 
  where 
  the 
  savoury 
  trout 
  forms 
  its 
  chief 
  

   aliment. 
  But 
  on 
  such 
  expeditions 
  it 
  not 
  infrequently 
  leaves 
  

   its 
  native 
  marine 
  habitat 
  never 
  to 
  return, 
  for 
  in 
  the 
  rivers 
  

   and 
  lochs 
  it 
  is 
  looked 
  upon 
  as 
  a 
  poacher, 
  and 
  pays 
  the 
  penalty 
  

   with 
  its 
  life 
  at 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  some 
  sportsman 
  or 
  keeper. 
  

  

  Phalacrocorax 
  graculus, 
  Linn. 
  Shag. 
  Green 
  Shag. 
  

  

  The 
  Shag 
  cannot 
  be 
  accounted 
  a 
  common 
  bird 
  along 
  the 
  

   coasts 
  of 
  " 
  Dee," 
  and, 
  strangely 
  enough, 
  in 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  

   " 
  Birds 
  of 
  Strathbeg," 
  by 
  the 
  late 
  Thomas 
  Edward, 
  the 
  Shag 
  

   does 
  not 
  appear, 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  observation 
  applies 
  to 
  the 
  

   Birds 
  of 
  Buchan, 
  by 
  Mr. 
  W. 
  Horn. 
  Coming 
  to 
  1895, 
  it 
  is 
  

   stated 
  by 
  the 
  Rev. 
  W. 
  Serle, 
  in 
  his 
  Avi-Fauna 
  of 
  Buchan, 
  p. 
  18, 
  

   that 
  the 
  bird 
  is 
  " 
  common, 
  and 
  breeds 
  about 
  Pennan 
  and 
  the 
  

   Cruden 
  coast." 
  The 
  present 
  writer 
  has 
  traversed 
  the 
  coasts 
  

   of 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  time 
  after 
  time, 
  but 
  he 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  verify 
  

   the 
  above 
  statement 
  ; 
  indeed, 
  he 
  has 
  not 
  seen 
  a 
  Shag 
  there 
  

   during 
  the 
  breeding 
  season. 
  

  

  Genus 
  SULA, 
  Brisson. 
  

   Sula 
  bassana, 
  Linn. 
  Gannet. 
  " 
  Solan 
  Goose." 
  

  

  The 
  nearest 
  breeding 
  station 
  of 
  the 
  Gannet 
  to 
  " 
  Dee 
  " 
  is 
  

   the 
  Bass 
  Rock, 
  in 
  the 
  Firth 
  of 
  Forth, 
  where 
  the 
  bird 
  con- 
  

   gregates 
  in 
  many 
  hundreds. 
  Thence 
  it 
  spreads 
  out 
  along 
  

   the 
  north 
  - 
  east 
  coast 
  in 
  pursuit 
  of 
  the 
  herring, 
  which 
  

   constitute 
  its 
  chief 
  article 
  of 
  food. 
  Thus 
  it 
  not 
  infrequently 
  

   happens 
  that 
  the 
  bird 
  gets 
  entangled 
  in 
  the 
  meshes 
  of 
  the 
  

   herring-fisher's 
  net, 
  and 
  is 
  by 
  that 
  worthy 
  " 
  made 
  fast 
  with 
  a 
  

   piece 
  of 
  tarry 
  rope," 
  and 
  brought 
  to 
  land 
  asa" 
  queer 
  beast 
  ; 
  " 
  

   and 
  certainly 
  by 
  the 
  time 
  it 
  flops 
  about 
  amongst 
  herring 
  

   scales, 
  tar, 
  and 
  other 
  dirt, 
  it 
  does 
  look 
  somewhat 
  queer, 
  

   although 
  of 
  not 
  much 
  value 
  to 
  the 
  ornithologist. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  is 
  over, 
  the 
  Gannet 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  

   for 
  some 
  weeks 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  " 
  Dee," 
  sailing 
  aloft 
  in 
  airy 
  

   circles, 
  and 
  ever 
  and 
  anon 
  descending 
  with 
  fearless 
  plunge 
  

   into 
  the 
  surging 
  sea, 
  generally 
  securing 
  some 
  hapless 
  fish. 
  

  

  