The Ganitet, Tula bassana, or Solan 
Goose.— Gannets are met with in Iceland, 
the Faroe Isles, on the coast of Norway, 
and on the Atlantic and Pacific shores of 
North America. They are constant resi¬ 
dents in the British Isles, where the prin¬ 
cipal breeding places are Lundy Isle, St. 
Kilda, and the Bass Rock. The last 
named being the most generally known. It 
is situated in the Firth of Forth opposite 
to Canty Bay. Solan Geese, as the Gannets 
are usually termed, visit the Bass early in the 
Spring, stay to breed and leave in October. 
The Bass Rock during the breeding 
season is certainly a sight to delight the 
heart of an ornithologist. Many thou¬ 
sands of Gannets, Gulls, X. fuscus, X. 
argentatMs. and X. tridactyla, Guillemots, 
tf. troile and Puffins, Fratercula arctica, 
breed upon its magnificent cliffs. The 
Gannets build their nests upon the flat 
surface of the rock, the Gulls and Guille¬ 
mots occupy the ledges, and the Puffins 
make use of the deepest holes they can 
find. Before landing upon the Bass Rock 
leave must be obtained from the keeper. 
The landing place is at the entrance to the 
old fort which held out so long' for James 
II. Certain j>arts of the surface of the 
rock are almost completely covered by the 
nests of the Gannets. The cries of the 
Gulls and the peculiar “grog,” “grog” of 
the Solan Geese almost deafen the visitor. 
The Gannets are very tame and permit 
strangers to walk among them, and even 
in some instances to handle them. The 
Solan Goose lays one large white egg, but 
it soon becomes a dirty yellow color. The 
young bird when hatched has a black skin, 
which soon becomes covered with pure 
white down. Later it assumes a black 
plumage, which finally changes to the white 
of the mature bird. 
Large numbers of the fresh eggs are 
collected, sent to London and sold as deli¬ 
cacies for invalids. Many thousands of 
the young birds are shot and salted 
and used as food during the Winter. The 
old birds are often captured by means of 
fish nailed on pieces of wood, which are 
then placed in the sea. The Solan Goose 
seeing the fish on the surface of the water, 
drops from a great height upon it and 
breaks its neck by the force of the con¬ 
cussion. It is very interesting to watch 
Gannets fishing. They can perceive a 
fish from a great distance and drop like a 
flash upon their prey. They are very use¬ 
ful to fishermen, who learn where the 
shoals of fish are by seeing them fishing. 
They are very voracious, and the quantity 
of fish required for their support must be 
very great indeed. Gannets attain a good 
old age. Several have bred on the Bass 
Rock for over thirty years. — J. T. T. Reed , 
liyhope, Durham Go ., England. 
0.&O. VIII. Apr. 1383. p.Jo 
701. The Gannet r Tula \_sic~] bassana, or Solan Goose. By J. T. T. Q, & O^VoifVIII 
Reed. Ibid., p. 30. — Its habits, etc., as observed in England. 
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