8 ( M i M M O . N . GAJsMVJiT.
;
rwounded a Gannet , which, on.falling, t o th€s;wa,ter,,.,swapi s.o fa-si. before
tl},e boat , . that we. rowsnî about a quarter of a mi l e before «•« reached. i t ,
w h e n - i t , suddenly. turneai towards , Us, ; e v e n e d , its-rlîillv. a s if ititont on de-,
lending, itself, but was killed with the» s t roke ol'iau. oar by one,of the
sailors. Whe.u shot at without , even beingi tojiclted; these birds-.oftetv
d i s g o r g e their food iri the-iminm-,r of V.ultur.es ; and. tbis.the.\: always
d o when wounded, if their stomach and gullet, happen to- b e full.
Sometimes, after. b^ing- wounded, in, the wings,, t h e y will float, anil allow,
you to take litem, without, making any at tempt : t o fescape... Nay,, my
y o u n g tVicn-U G . k o r , î ; k É. S h a t ï u c k , M. I),,.of. Boston, wduiu with m#;
a t Labrador, eaugiht one- which In- found walking amongst.a,geat:mn:ib
e r of (iuillemot.s,':<in-.a ,U>w and-nicky island.
VYhen they are on their favourite breeding, rucks, and about to lly.
t h e y eleyate thei r headj throw- i t backward,,. qjien. the,bill, / and. emi t a
loud prolonged cry, before launching themselves into the air,,in. doing
which they, waddle, a iV.ws paces. with their, wings partially, <;s.t!'i,iied.
A f t e r s t a r t ing, ¡their first motion, i s i f ready inclined downwards, but thtsy
p r e s e n t l y - , r e c o v e r , / a ^ d , s e em to. suj jgprt themselves, with ease. When
t h e y are twenty or thirty.yards o!?.- ypt i ,observe t h em. s h a k i n g the tail
sideways, ami then h iding, thei r feet . amo n g the unde r cove r t s of,the»tail.
A t . o t h e r times, they suddenly- open their, feet,., m o v i n g them, as - if, for
t h e purpose-of gTaspmg..s^n,t£obiect.beloV(i., in the same manner as some
hawks, but only for a few moments, w heti-lagain,.thi!itail is shaken, and
t h e feet hidden as before. TIhsv heat their: wings and sail alternately,
even when living itroumi their breeding pla'ces..
O n th,c;,ground the movements,of the Gam,et aru exceedingly agÉa!
ward. and it marches with hampered steps, assisting itself with the1
w i n g s , or keeping tliem partially open, to prevent its falling;.. Their
walk, indeed, is merely a ho.bh.lc. When the, sun shines,.they are fond
of opening thei r wings and beat ing them in, thé.manner of Cormorants*
s h a k i n g the head meanwhi l e rather violently, and emitting, t h e i r usual
u n c o u t h guttural notes of cura, kure'tc, faipiW, You may well .imaginet
h e effect, of a, c o n c e r t performed by all the Gannets • c o n g r e g a t e d '"or
t h e purpose of b reeding on such a rock as that it! the Gulf of St Lawr
e n c e , where, amidst the uproar produced by the repetition of these
notes,. you.itovc,and the!®: dist inguish the loud and continued wolfish,
h o w l i n g - l i k e sounds of those about to ily off.
T h e newK-nnished nest of this bird is fully two feet h igh, and quite
O O ' M M O f i (¡»VN.VKT.
t h e former being, '»«im'e' s broifght f rom- eo^Td^ ibl e distances. '-Pin,*,
t h e Gannets te'eeding-on the-fecks in the Guli'bf St Laiwrence,-carry
weeds from « h , -M^ - d d l ' e n e Elands,'which are about thirty,,,,les distant,
f t e g r a s s e ' s ' a r e f
i t s e l f , often tat ^ r « t ! - » d % coûâstmg rf'ïofetsi'Wid 'earth, and 'leaving
liuios'.licit mi:like-the'('!itraitctïS'tôth(' :bitrnws^if41fiit l , l i ^ ' | ! r i* Théiste,
l i k e -those nsi••Oirmorai i ts; 'enlarged "or ' r é p a n d amrmaHy.
s i n g l e .egg, Of'.'a 'rather- e longa t ed-ova l form,' a v e r a g e s "three faciles and
„he-.,woMf-h - fa 'l-eM-gf-h, '•In two inches fa its greatest breadth, and ttS
covered- wivh an i r r e g u » rWgHsh^oa f e t g of'wlflte-calcareous Mat ter,
w h i c h - « . « f e i s t s&aped''OS, leaves exposal 'the pate greet,isb-bluo tint
-of .thB'unâfer'jîvyèri - 11 " , ' '"'
T h c i b m f e usually Veaci, thi.'rock-when alrcaidy-pki i-cd. 'm' lU. K «ten
«f:hunti-reds,.ai«l ¡u-c^oor,.•«•«.,-hiiliim it, rho. manner of Cormoran1!*, and
• « w e r , ^ su),poa-ri The period of thei r a r r i v a at Hheii'Veed-
. 'intr grout, ds'apposirs to-.deponii imfc'h' ot, t l io' lat i tudi , dY thle plae'e ; for, <>n
-theIÎ:<f is'Ro,'k,'h, the Vi r tht ' . fV. ,Hh, which I h a d - t h c f l ' ^ " ' " visittn' " '
in the: a g r e e a b l e comp.my-m fnyt a rhc t l frtmrWir.MA'M 'M»ten.uvkAY
«Ml « s sot, an, ttit, lSHlrtf August 1835, « 0 8 « ® fii-st'seex, m
®&biittWy,'«tffl'éàS.i-h ' the Gulf (if S t Lawrence they tarel y rea«h thv.
- G r è a t . R o ë k uiui'-l the middle ttf A p r f i or beginning of May ; and At
G b a t e a u ÎBeaù m fte'Stt-aits'bf'Belle Kte.'uo^ until a for tnight or three
- W ? s fefer. 'Like the' metA'eré of most large emmmmities, 'the
G a n n e t s , '«vouch so trnl y ttreg-arious a t this season, ' shew a'considerable
'flogrei- vifjiYirmo^itv tdwart ls' thei r more Vmm«lia'te neighbors as soon
a s ihcubation commciiSfcs. 'A ' t o y » d perhaps, ' f eMu g it <-'>«<* t o
T,fl, the m-A'rtC 'its 'friend Of Avè'ftdS ah.! sdâs, than to " c o n v e y them
f r om sot,» .listMit pla.'o, Seizes sbmo, oti wliich 'thé other resents
t h e injury, ttnd some wèll-'«re6ted thrusts 'of their strong bills are
made, :n ilp'ffn da'v iinM'in ful U ie% of'(ho asseinblci sitters, who rarely
-l'ail tt> look ¡ihHvith interest, and •faSS the news'from one lb'aivmiuir,
u n t i l 'all are a^prr^d « 'the qiuârrél. "fhë time however l'uses on.
T h e patient mother, «¡'lend more w a rmt h to h e r only egg, p lkcks ' a few
- y tint feathers Troin some distance 'beni'-ath her breast. In sunny
w e a t h e r , she ft^itnds'those <>»' h e r upper par ts, anH passing hot- bi l l along
t h e i r reotvaestfoys' t tfe- v i t e insects' t h a ï toi there. 'Should a boister