232 COMMON GASWET.
lowing season. While at- Nowfoimdland, I was told that the S»glish
arai'SBNtet fishermen (who inhabit that cwantry salt young Gantlets for
winter provision, as i? dorm in Si-otlaml j but I saw nones--theï» In my
estimation, the flesh of this bird tec) bad that, loiig as any-other can
be procured', it ought lo be rejected!.
J l is a. curious- fact, that tfhic Gannets often procure mackerels or
herrings tour :(>.•. five fterks before the fishermen fall in with theth on
oar coast ; bat this is easily é'xplaihed by thi-iivoxttmsive wanderings.
Although this bird is easily kept in captivity, it. is far freim being a '
pleasant pet. Its- ordure is abundant, disagreeable to the cjjfe as well
as the1 nose.} its1 gait is awkward; and even its pale owl-like ey89 glare
on. yon with an unpleasant expression. Adit to this, thé expense of its
• foiiti, and I can- easily eiàjSitKS that>jj<||iwill not give it a plaiee in your
aviary, Unless for the mere.amusement ®f seeing it catch tb<! food thrown
to it, which it ¡does like a- dog
The feathers of the lower parts of the («muet diL'bi from those of '
most other bird% in being extroimsh'. convex exteMn&lly, which giws
the bird, the appiOTatioè-of.'beinsr covered beneath with Hght shell-work,
cxceedingl-v difficult to be represented in a drawing.
My highly -esteemed and-talented friend WI I L I A M Misee.LUVaAY
having giVen a full account of the habits of the Ganiiet, as observed
on the Bass Rock in-;Scut.iand, I hero. present it to you.
The1 Bass is an abrupt rock, having hasis-of about a mile in eirc.
tnmercnce, and of an oblt-mg form. The el ills are- perpendicular in
some places, overhanging in others, and everywhere precipitous; exi
s t i n g at the narrow extremity next the land, vAorii, 'sloping |gss
abruptly, they form at the base a low projection,, it®, which is the-only
landifig-pl&ee* Ahov-e this are the ruins of the fortifications and houses,
the Bass Uavirvg -ibnnerl'y- been used as a State-ppi'soîfc- The - rocks- are
rn sdiii^ places apparently two hundred feet in height, and the summit,
towards which th.e surface rises it)- an irregular maimer; i's- probably a
hundred and fifty feet Higher. la as far as I observed, the whole mass
is of a uniform- structure, consisting of trap; intermediate, between
greenstone- and clinkstone, of a dull brownish-red colour, and smalt
granular structure. Although a groat portion of the upper surfaice of
the. island is ui-miposcd of rock-, there is an abundant vegetation, consist
ing chiefly of Vent'iim ovina, F. (htriuwula, and a few other grasses^
mixed with the plants usually found in maritime -situations. •
COMMUN GANNET.
" T h e circnnstance-eimnected wi thfeBas s most interesting to the
Zoologists is -its — the few places g Britain to winch the
Gattnetre-sor-ts d«mg- theteeedmgseason. The number which I saw
( m lhl . -ISt-h -May i m u " h o J for the first time visited ¡t along with
some friends, -might bo estimated at twenty thousand. Kvory part ot
the mural faces of the rt>ck, especially towards their summits, was more
• • M by them. In one spot ..ear the landing plaee, about
forty yards it. riwunffcren«., and on a gx-ntle slope tof gravelly ground,
about- three hundred individuals Nvore sittmg in peaceful see®i ty«.
i l f f i f t ^ t e a s i f ' • * .,.- •'.,'. " • - -.«¡.¿fc-t
of ' w M and -dapai-t i n -Oetober some-years, a -few « d i v i d u a l remain
during the. winter. The nests are ¿imposed of grass and sea-weeds,
generally placed dt, lhe bare rock or «art!., elevate,! in lite, form of a
truncated ,-one; x,f which the base is about twenty inch* in diameter,
*Mr a shallow termirifil cartty. On the mmfait of the tslan.l are
mimeMiis hoi,a f« the turf,..fnm> -eight to fifteen inches deep, and
from Six to- nine broai-1, -formed :by the Gannets in pulling away grass
and tutef for their-nests: They a r e placed on-W-parts of the rock«
where a-i'tm-veniiiTtt spot occferS, tmt a»« much more numerous tow:u-ds
the summit Some of ihem.om'tte face of -the,rock, or in a shallow
fissure, and -which toe lm,-n <><»>,,ied for years, are piled-up to the
height'of-from three-t i^ire fie,*« in this'case they .always: lean
again« the rock. The-»® wMeh is solitary, and-p*sents nothiagretnitrkahle
in it* p-feitiort,- * of an elongated oval form, bluish-white,
daij- With a -chalky .surface, usually patched with yellowish-brown
dirt. It is subjected to what might appear rough usage, for the bird
in. alighting,, flying off, or when disturbed liv the intrusion of human
visitors, tosses i t ahoufc,and often stands-upo» it. , ' ,! 1 ' "
« \Vh<m sitting, -«hi-Gaimets usually allow a person to approach with,
- t„ . t e e feet, -sometimes -much nearer, so «that, one. may even touch
theili: When-one approaches them, they merely open their bill, and
utter their usual •c.^r,-or they rise and express some degree of iesenttm
nt, but seem to ban. very little apprehension of danger. They take
advantage O f 'm absi'tti'ft of their neighbours to pilfer the materials of
their nest», frequently two join in te act, and occasionally two may
' be seen tugging at the same bunch, endeavouring to wrest it. from
-each other. They are constantly repairing their nests, which being