GANNET. 
3 
I have at times "been forced to beat a speedy retreat wlicn attempting a visit to some of tlie breeding-stations 
on the north face of the cliffs. 
The young Gannets at the age of a month or six weeks (their black faces surrounded by tufts of down 
which strongly resemble white nightcaps) are exceedingly comical, thougli for the most part ill-tempered and 
peevish little tyrants. When first they Avaddle a yard or so from their nest, it is most commonly to pitch into 
some smaller and more helpless infant, Avhicli is not iinfrequently seized by the back of the neck and shaken 
in the most jiitiless manner. Though the injury they are capable of inflicting on one another is slight, their 
battles are often attended Avith fatal results ; one or other, or occasionally both, of the combatants lose their 
balance, and, rolling from the ledge, fall over the precipice and are dashed to pieces on the rooks below. Even 
the old birds are at times spiteful to youngsters that intrude on their quarters or are imagined to threaten 
their OAvn offspring. Any unfortunate that has slipped from its nest to some loAA^er ledge during the absence of 
the parent receives unmerciful stabs from the poAverfal beak of every adult it approaches, and in the end is 
either hammered to death or foi’ccd over the cliffs. On the north and cast sides of the llock the tide bears 
aAvay all signs of such accidents. There is, hoAA^ever, on the north-AAmst a ledge a short distance abo\"e high- 
Avater mark that stretches for about one hundred yards beloAV the cliffs, and over Avhich the Avaves only l)reak 
during heavy gales. This ridge is seldom visited ; and the sight that meets the vicAV Avhen the upper part is 
reached is certainly cruel and revolting. Dead and dying Gannets in various stages, from the ncAvly-hatched 
and naked squab to the adult in perfect plumage, were lying either jammed among the crevices or maimed 
and mangled in the pools of rain-Avater Avhen I last made my way to the spot. Numbers of carcasses partly 
decomposed Avere observed, and it needed over a dozen shots to put those that had survived the injuries caused 
by their fall out of their misery. The larger juveniles probably OAA'ed their misfortunes to an irritable and 
querulous disposition, Avhich had brought about contentions Avitli their neighbours; the adults, hoAvever (of 
Avhom I counted three or four), must have been struck by falling stones. Pieces of rock are not unfrequently 
dislodged during rough weather, and, dashing doAvn among the croAvds of birds, scatter death and destruction 
on all sides. 
The landlord of the inn at Canty Bay, Avho also hires the Bass Pock, depends mainly on the Geese * for 
paying his rent. The aA^erage take for each season AA'as, at the time of my last visit in 1874, about eight or 
nine hundred full-fledged young birds. The number, hoAvever, depends greatly on the Aveather, as should the 
rocks remain Avet and slippery from continued rain, it renders the Avork of going over to collect them both 
dangerous and unpleasant. To add to the discomforts of the undertaking, the liquid guano not unfrequently 
lies in pools at least a foot deep on some of the ledges and in the cracks of the rocks. Strong Avinds also 
greatly interfere Avith the successful AA-orkiug of the ropes. Up till tAventy or five and tAventy years ago as 
many as 1500 or 2000 AA^ere occasionally taken ; hut since that time the birds liaA’e decreased in number, 
neglect and defective management being most probably the cause of the falling-off. 
After being plucked and cleaned, some are sent to the markets at Birmingham, Manchester, and other 
large provincial toAvns, and generally bring in from eighfpence to tenpence each. Others are liaAvked about 
the country in carts and sold for Avhat they Avill fetch ; Avhile a few hundreds are cooked at Canty Bay, and 
eagerly bought up by the harvest-labourers of the district for a shilling each. A roast Goose also appears to 
be a favourite dish Avith some of the visitors at North Benvick. Eor my own part, I must confess that the 
stink of the oil and the cooking at Canty Bay set me for ever against such a greasy and highly-seented 
delicacy. The fat that comes out of the inside of the birds, Avhen cleaned, is boiled doAvn into oil, and sold for 
farming-purposes at the price of three or four shillings a gallon. In addition to this, the feathers realize from 
fifteen to eighteen shillings a stone, about one hundred Geese producing suflicieiit feathers to AA'eigh a stone ; 
these are used for making beds, hut have to go through some poAverful baking process in order to remove 
* In this district a Gannet is always termed a Goose. 
