218 
THE CORMORANT. 
incautiously strayed into tlie place where they were 
kept, when they immediately flew at him, and 
attacked him in front and rear : his loud howlings 
brought his master to his aid, hut too late ; they 
had got him down, and inflicted fatal wounds. 
The chief difference between Cormorants and the 
Frigate-birds, so called from their keeping a sharp 
look-out on other birds, and robbing them of their 
fish, consists in the latter having forked tails like 
our Swallows ; their spread of wing is also propor- 
tional) ly much larger, and they are altogether of a 
lighter and more elegant appearance. We know 
hut little of them ; indeed, our knowledge is limited 
to one species only, the Tacky petes Aquila , of 
which we have already spoken (see vol. i., p. 95,) 
w T hen considering the buoyancy of birds and their 
power of floating in the air. We shall, therefore, 
proceed to the next genus, Gannets, or Boobies, as 
some of them are called by sailors, owing to the 
stupidity with which they suffer themselves to be 
attacked and robbed by men and birds. 
The common Gannet (Solan Goose) is the species 
to which we shall confine our remarks : well known 
as it must be to those who have sailed on either side 
of the Scottish coast, as well as several other shores 
of our island, it will be more familiar to many, 
under the name of the Solan Goose. Like most of 
the other birds of this tribe, it is profusely supplied 
with air-cells ; and we refer our readers to the 
account already given (vol. i., p. 63,) of these pecu- 
liarities in its formation, merely adding, that from 
the facility of procuring specimens, a close exami- 
nation of this species is recommended to those 
