GANNET. 



191 



This bird is said to go as far south as the Tagus, and according to 

 Acerbi, is found as far north as the Gulf of Bothnia. It is found 

 plentiful on some of the northern coasts, particularly the Orkneys and 

 the Bass Island, in the Frith of Forth. By an old Scottish law, the 

 proprietor of this has a right to visit the neighbouring isles, and drive 

 away the Gannets, in order that they may return to his domain, being 

 considered as his sole property ; from which he is said to derive a con- 

 siderable profit by taking the young and sending them to market. In 

 autumn they leave those places, and pursue the herrings an d pilchards 

 round our coast, returning to their usual haunts in the spring. During 

 their winter migration they are frequently found off the coast of Corn- 

 wall, and are seen in every part of the British and Irish Channel, 

 generally keeping far out to sea. Mr. Pennant mentions a variety of 

 this bird having been killed in Caernarvonshire, to which he gave the 

 name of Sulla. The young birds, during the first year, and perhaps 

 longer, are dusky, speckled with white ; the nest, which is composed 

 chiefly of sea-weed, is generally placed upon the most inaccessible parts 

 of the highest rocks ; the egg is white, very like that of the cormo- 

 rant, but rather larger : those sent to us by a Scottish friend are by no 

 means so large as the egg of a goose, and weighing about three ounces 

 and a quarter each. 



This bird takes its prey by darting down upon it with great velocity 

 from a considerable height, but is incapable of diving, or at least it 

 does not appear that any exertion or alarm can force it to immerse. 

 Upon the water it swims as buoyant as a gull. When offered fish they 

 will take it, but will never go into a pond after it ; and from every ap- 

 pearance of their actions on water, to which they will only go from 

 compulsion, they cannot procure the fish beyond the extent of their 

 neck. 



During the winter, and as late as the month of April, they have 

 been frequently observed in the English channel ; Mr. Pennant was 

 therefore misinformed when he stated that they retire with the pil- 

 chards in the month of November. What their particular object may 

 be for remaining so long in the channel it is difficult to determine, but 

 we have had them brought to us by fishermen in the months of 

 February, March, and April ; from whom we learn that they are only 

 occasionally seen, and from their actions appeared busied in fishing ; but 

 what the shoal of fish was that they were apparently following, could 

 not be discovered. 



In the month of February, 1808, and in March, the preceding year, 

 many were taken alive ; and more might have been captured, for they 



