breed but once a year, on the highest ks near the sea, and lay only one egg, ken away, they lay another; and if away, then a third; but never more gs are white, and rather less nd their nest large, oating on

THE Gannet, or Solan Goose, belongs to the Pelican tribe, and is somewhat more than three feet in length, and weighs about seven pounds. The bill is six inches long, straight almost to the point, where it is a little bent; its edges are irregularly jagged, for the better securing of its prey; and about an inch from the base of the upper mandible is a sharp process, pointing forward. The general colour of the plumage is dirty white, with a cinereous tinge. Surrounding each eye there is a naked skin of fine blue: from the corner of the mouth a narrow slip of naked black skin extends to the hind part of the head; and beneath the chin is a pouch, like that of the pelican, capable of containing five or six herrings. The neck is long; the body flat, and very full of feathers. On the crown of the head, and the back part of the neck, is a small buffcoloured space. The quill feathers and some other parts of the wings are black; as are also the legs, except a fine peagreen stripe in their front. The tail

as they always proceed either in a line,

sharp pointed two lines forming an angle in the mid on fish, chiefly The common TAME GOOSE is nothin here their food Wild Goose in a state of domesticat in come to disturb times found white, thope north of Scotland, the Skelig ing to gray coast of Kerry, in Ireland, and those while in the north sea of Norway, abound with them. Not fewer than a hundred thousand are believed to frequent the small island of St. Kilda, of which onefifth are annually killed by the inhabitants for food. But it is on the Bass Island, in the Firth of Edinburgh, where they are seen in the greatest abundance.

The Gannet is a bird of passage. In winter it seeks the more southern coasts of Cornwall, hovering over the shoals of herrings and pilchards that then come down from the northern sea: its first appearance in the northern islands is at the beginning of spring; and it continues to breed till the end of summer. But, in general, its motions are determined by the migrations of the immense shoals of herrings that come pouring down at that season through the British Channel, and supply all Europe, as well as this bird, with their spoil. The Gannet assiduously attends the shoals in their passage, keeps with them in their whole circuit round our island, and shares with our fishermen this exhaustless banquet. At times it migrates as far south as the Tagus in quest of food. As it is strong of wing, it never comes near the land, but is constant to its prey. Wherever this bird is seen, it is sure to announce to the fishermen the arrival of the finny tribe; they then prepare their nets, and take the herrings by millions at a draught; while the informer comes, though an unbidden guest, and snatches its prey from the fisherman even in his boat. While the fishing season continues, the Gannets are busily employed: but when the pilchards disappear from our coasts, they take their leave, to keep them company.

These birds breed but once a year, on the highest and steepest rocks near the sea, and lay only one egg, but if that be taken away, they lay another;, and if that be also taken away, then a third; but never more for that season. Their eggs are white, and rather less than those of the common goose; and their nest large, composed of such substances as are found floating on the surface of the sea. The young birds during the first year, differ greatly in colour from the old ones; being of a dusky hue, speckled with numerous triangular white spots.

These birds, when they pass from place to place, unite in small flocks of from five to fifteen; and, except in very fine weather, fly low, near the shore, but never pass over it; doubling the capes and projecting parts, and keeping nearly at an equal distance from the land. During their fishing they rise high into the air, and sail aloft over the shoals of herrings or pilchards, much in the manner of kites. When they observe the shoal crowded thick together, they close their wings to their sides and precipitate themselves head foremost into the water, dropping almost like a stone. Their eye in this act is so correct, that they never fail to rise with a fish in their mouth.-If in flying away with one, they see another they like better, they immediately drop the first to seize it. The force with which it descends on its prey may be imagined from a circumstance which occurred, some years ago, at Penzance, in Cornwall. As some pilchards were lying on a fir plank, a Gannet darted down on them with such impetuosity as to strike its bill quite through the board, which was an inch and a quarter thick, and, as may be supposed, to kill itself on the spot. The St. Kildans sometimes take them by fastening a herring to a plank, and setting it afloat. The bird swoops down, and breaks its neck by its violence.

THE Eider Duck is about twice the size of the common English Duck. It has a black cylindrical bill, and the feathers of the forehead and cheeks advance far into the base. In the male, the feathers of part of the head, the lower part of the breast, the belly, and the tail, are black, as are also the quill feathers of the wings; and nearly all the rest of the body is white. The legs are green. The female is of a reddish brown, variously marked with black and dusky streaks. It is principally found in the western isles of Scotland, on the coasts of Norway, Iceland, and Greenland, and in many parts of North America, particularly in the Esquimaux Islands.

The female lays from three to five eggs (sometimes so many as eight), which are large, smooth, glossy, and of a pale olive colour. They generally lay among stones, or plants, near the sea, but in a soft bed of down, which they pluck from their own breasts. Sometimes two females will lay their eggs in the same nest, in which case they always agree remarkably well. As long as the female is sitting, the male con

tinues on watch near the shore; but as soon as the young are hatched, he leaves them. The mother, however, remains with them a considerable time afterwards. It is curious to observe her manner of leading them out of the nest, almost as soon as they creep from the eggs. Going before them to the shore, they trip after her: and, when she comes to the waterside, she takes them on her back, and swims a few yards with them, when she dives; and the young ones are left floating on the surface, obliged to take care of themselves. They are seldom seen afterwards on land.

In Iceland the Eider Ducks generally build their nests on small islands, not far from the shore; and sometimes even near the dwellings of the natives, who treat them with so much attention and kindness as to render them nearly tame. From these birds is produced the soft down so well known by the name of eider, or edder down, which is so light and expansive that a couple of handfuls will fill a down quilt, which, in cold countries, is used instead of a quilt or blanket. In the breeding season the birds pluck it from their breasts to line their nests, and make a soft bed for the young ones. When the natives come to the nest, they carefully remove the female and take away the superfluous down and eggs; after this, they replace the female she then begins to lay afresh, and covers her eggs with new down, which she also plucks from her body; when this is scarce, or she has no more left, the male comes to her assistance, and covers the eggs with his down, which is white, and easily distinguished from that of the female. When the young ones leave the nest, which is about an hour after they are hatched, it is once more plundered. The most eggs and the best down, are got during the first three weeks of their laying; and it has generally been observed, that they lay the greatest number of eggs in rainy weather. One female, during the time of laying, generally gives half a pound of down; which,