GANNET 
143 
vember, 1901, I saw the birds lined up in hundreds, 
covering an acre or more of flat rock, each one sitting 
on a ragged nest of seaweed containing a single white 
chalk-encrusted egg. Partly eaten pieces of fish lit- 
tered the intervening spaces, and ever and anon a 
bird's mate would come in from the sea with a fresh 
delicacy or to " change guard " — an event looked 
forward to with interest by dozens of Seagulls, which 
kept constantly running about the edges of the 
" rookery," snapping up here an inconsidered trifle 
of fish, and there an egg left unprotected for a mo- 
ment ; smaller birds, these, than the guardians of 
the nests, but matchless in cunning. 
Sometimes a Gannet, returning from the sea, 
would miss its way, and try to insinuate itself into 
some menage other than its own, an action invariably 
resented by all the birds sitting within a radius of 
several yards. The intruder had cause to regret his 
temerity, for the bill of the Gannet is, as we dis- 
covered when taking an egg or two, a most effectual 
and penetrating weapon. Social habits, based on the 
sanctity of the home, seem firmly implanted in the 
Gannet character — traits which so impressed one of 
our party, that he announced his intention of setting 
straightway to work upon a monograph of this species, 
to be intituled (somewhat unscientifically as I thought) 
" The Faithful Gannet," a treatise which has not 
yet appeared. 
The Gannet's general plumage is snow-white ; 
crown of the head sulphurous yellow ; primaries and 
