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 rig-ht 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, hut 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 
