AUSTRALIAN GANNET. 
egg or small young, and would dart down on it in an instant, and start to 
destroy it, as they do to other sea-birds not of their own species. The 
peculiar manner in which the birds “ change sittings ” was watched with 
interest : a bird would come in from the sea, and after circling round a few 
times, would settle in the rookery near to where its mate was on the nest : it 
would then approach the sitting bird, and after cooing for some time and 
stretching out its neck, would start caressing by placing its bill first on one 
side of the sitting bird and then on the other. This crossing of necks kept 
on for quite a few minutes, all the while the incoming bird getting closer 
and closer to the breast of the sitting one ; then the last named would 
gradually back off the nest, and the relieving bird get on, so that the egg or 
young was not exposed for a moment, and the robber gulls were not 
permitted to see for an instant the offspring. The gulls are nevertheless 
good as scavengers, as they pick up and fly off with the superfluous fish that 
are brought in for the young gannets, and which would soon decompose in 
the hot sun and make the locality uninhabitable. The food of the young 
gannet we noted consisted principally of fish, some quite a foot long. In 
catching the fish, the gannet employs the same tactics as the tern ; mounting 
above its prey, the bird comes down head first, the sharp bill cleaving the 
surface of the water and allowing the heavy body to go beneath the surface 
with a mighty splash, and in a moment or two the gannet emerges with its 
prey in its bill.’ ” 
Mr. H. Stuart Dove in a letter dated January 30th, 1912, wrote : 
“ There has been a very large concourse of this species on the North-West 
Coast of Tasmania during the present month. On the 5th, hundreds 
were observed diving into the sea near the Mersey training-wall — diving, as 
noted some six years, during the afternoon and evening until about 7.30.” 
Mr. Dove’s note here follows : 
“ Sula sula (not Linne) Dove, EmUy Vol. V., p. 159, 1906. It is very 
interesting to watch the diving operations of the Gannet {Sula ^ula) 
especially when conducted on so large a scale as has been the case recently 
on this coast. A great shoal of the delicate little fish called whitebait has 
made its appearance in our waters, and hundreds of bird pursuers are 
relentlessly following it up. Yesterday afternoon I counted 63 Gannets in 
one group floating on the blue waters of the Mersey, just where it debouches 
into the Strait, enjoying in the sunshine a brief spell from their fishing labours. 
Although I have repeatedly watched the Gannets diving off the coast of New 
South Wales and elsewhere, I never remember seeing them present in such 
numbers as here just now. When over a good shoal of fish they literally 
tumble by dozens and scores into the water, reminding the watcher of a 
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