Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.] [Parson's Green.

GANNET, SECOND YEAK.

The white plumage of the neck is just beginning to appear.

In gannets, however, a slight indication of their sometime existence remains, though the nostril itself no longer serves as an air-passage; and these birds are compelled to breathe through the mouth. Again, the tongue, like the nostrils, has also been reduced to a mere vestige.

Stranger still is the fact that immediately under the skin there lies an extensive system of air-cells of large size, which can be inflated or emptied at will. Many of these cells dip down between the muscles of the. body, so that "the whole organism i& pervaded with air-cells, all of which are in connection with the lungs. PhQlo by Scholastic 1'hoto. Co.] [Parson's Green. The FRIGATE- and TROPIC-BIRDS, which now GANNET, FULL PLUMAGE. remain to be described, are probably much lessThe fully adult plumage is not attained till the bird is three years old. familiar to our readers than the foregoing species.

Photo by Valentine & Sons, Ltd.]

GANNETS ON THE BASS ROCK.

The Bass Rock is the only breeding-station of the gannet on the eastern coast of the British Islands.

455

of the World456 The Living Animals

FKIGATE-BIRDS are remarkable in more ways than one. To begin with, their general appearance may be described as that of a small, long-winged, fork-tailed albatross, mounted upon particularly diminutive legs, so short as to do little more than raise the body off the ground. Their flight is wonderfully graceful, and capable of being sustained for considerable periods; for, like the gannets, they pass most of their time on the wing. They feed upon surface-fish, which they capture from the surface of the water without alighting, or upon fish which they take from the gannets of the neighbourhood.

Frigate-birds build their nests in trees, on low bushes, or on the ground, and sometimes upon ledges of precipitous cliffs. The nest is a loose structure composed of sticks, and its is ]aid.construction is accompanied by much pilfering from one another. Only a single egg

About the beginning of January the male acquires a very remarkable pouch of brilliant scarlet skin, which hangs beneath the beak. Frigate-birds are found all over the world within the tropics. The TROPIC-BIRDS, or BOATSWAIN-BIRDS, as they are sometimes called, are more like gulls or the heavier species of terns in general appearance, and in no way resemble superficially the forms with which they are associated, save in the fact that all the toes are enclosed in little doubt that these birds arethe same web. A study of their anatomy, however, leaves really members of the Pelican Tribe.

Either pure white, relieved with black, or of a beautiful apricot-yellow, with similar black markings, with a powerful bill and long tapering tail, the tropic-bird is one of the most beautiful of sea-birds. There are altogether about six species of tropic-birds, distributed over the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They nest in hollows of cliffs or holes in trees, and lay a single egg, which bears some resemblance to that of a kestrel.

CHAPTER VIII.

SCREAMERS, DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS.

T71AMILTAR as are most of our readers _|J with all save the first mentioned of these birds, yet few probably suspect how great a wealth of forms this group displays. All are more or less aquatic in their habits, of heavy build, with long necks and small heads, short legs, and short wings and tails. The young are hatched covered with a peculiar kind of down, which more nearly resembles that of the Ostrich Tribe than the down of other birds, and they run about or accompany their parents to the water either immediately or a few hours after hatching. Several species have become domesticated, and in some cases have given rise to peculiar breeds, whilst many are much in demand for the purpose of enlivening ornamental waters. The least-known members of the group are the very remarkable and extremely interesting SCREAMERS of South America, of which Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.} [Regent's Park. there are three species. These are large birds, CRESTED SCREAMER, OR CHAKA. presenting some resemblances to the Game- The Crested and Horned Screamers are the only members of the family birds on the one hand and the Geese on the without webbed feet.

Screamers* Ducks, Geese, and Swans 457

other. Not only the beak, but the skull, in certain characters, recalls that of the Game-birds. The body may be described as goose-like, but in the longer legs and enormous toes, which are not connected by a web, these birds recall the Megapodes, or Mound-builders (page 411). The screamers are generally regarded as primitive members of the group with which they are now associated; but in many respects they are quite peculiar. Not the least interesting of their habits is the great predilection they observe for soaring in the air at immense altitudes, uttering the while the curious cry to which they owe their name. Several birds often do this at once. Yet stranger is the fact that they not seldom gather together in vast flocks to sing in concert. Mr. Hudson, for instance, states that the species known as the CRESTED SCREAMER on one occasion surprised him by " an awful and overpowering burst of 'melody,'" which saluted him from half a million of voices at an out-of-the-way spot in the pampas one evening at nine o'clock; and, again, once at noon he heard flock after flock take up their song round the entire circuit of a certain lake, each flock waiting its turn to sing, and only stopping Photo by J. T. Newman], [Berkhamsted. AYLESBURY DUCK. when the duty had been performed.

This is one of the most esteemed of all domesticated breeds. Like the gannet, these birds are richly supplied

with air-cells between the body and the skin, and between many of the muscles; so highly are these cells developed, that it is said a crack-is applied to ling sound is emitted when pressure the skin. The wings of these birds are armed each with a pair of powerful and sharp spurs, recalling those of certain of the Plover Tribe (page 421), though in the latter only one spur is present on each wing. The division of the remainder of this group into Ducks, Geese, and Swans is generally recognised, but no hard-and-fast line can yet be drawn between the several sections. We must regard them as representing adaptations to peculiar modes of life, which appear to be most marked in the duck-like forms. These may be divided

into FRESH-WATER DUCKS, SALT-WATER DUCKS,

SPINY-TAILED DUCKS, and MERGANSERS.

Of the FRESH-WATER DUCKS, the most familiar is the WILD-DUCK, or MALLARD. This is a resident British bird, and also the parent of the domesticated stock, which frequently Photo by J. W. McLellan] [Highbury. closely resembles the wild form. In this species, POCHAED. is one of the diving-ducks.as with the majority of the fresh-water ducks, This

of the World The Living Animals458

; but the the males wear a distinctive livery males for a few weeks during the summer assume more or less completely the livery of the female, a process aptly described as going " into eclipse." The assumption of the female dress at this season is necessary, since it harmonises completely with the surrounding foliage, and so effectually conceals the bird at a time when it is peculiarly helpless; for, as with all birds, the quills or flight-feathers are cast off by the process known as moulting once a year, but instead of being replaced in pairs, and the flight remaining unaffected, they are shed all at once, so that escape from

Photo by W. F. Piggott] [Ltigliton Buzzard. enemies must be sought by concealment. EIDER-DUCK. Usually among birds the male has the

It is the down of this bird which is so much in demand for quilts. more powerful voice, but with the mallard and its allies the reverse is the case, the whilst the note of the male sounds likefemale giving forth the loud familiar " quack, quack," a feeble attempt to answer its mate, but smothered by a cold in the head. This peculiar and characteristic subdued voice is associated with a remarkable bulb-shaped bony enlargement at the bottom of the windpipe, just where it branches off to the right and left lungs, the female being without this swelling.

The nest is composed of grass, and lined with down plucked by the female from her own breast, with the "sole object,- it is generally believed, of keeping the eggs warm; but it is is removed as much for the sake of bringing the warm surface of thepossible that the down is exceedingly varied;body in closer contact with the eggs. The site chosen for the nest usually the nest is.placed on the ground and near the water, but sometimes in a hedgerow or in a wood, and occasionally in trees, and instances are on record where the deserted nests of, hawks and crows have been appropriated. At such times the young seem to be brought bill. It is some time beforeto the ground by the parent, which carries them down in her the wings of the young birds

;are big enough to carry them indeed, they are quite full grown in so far as the body is concerned. At this stage "they are known as flappers." Advantage was at one time taken of their helplessness in the " sport "known as "flapper-shooting." On other occasions numbers of people assembled and "beat" a vast tract of country, driving these young flappers before them to a given spot where nets were placed, in which as many as 150 dozen have been taken at one time. Fortunately this practice has been abolished Photo ly W. F. Piggott] [Leighton Buzzard. SHELDRAKE. by Act of Parliament. Several very distinct The female bird is just entering her nest at the bottom, of a long burrow.

Screamers, Ducks, Geese, and Swans 459 domesticated breeds of ducks have been derived from the mallard. The commonest breed differs but little, save in its great size, from the wild parent form, but the most esteemed are those known as the KOUEN and AYLESBURY. The PENGUIN-DUCK is the most aberrant and the ugliest of these breeds, having a peculiarly upright, awkward carriage, and very small wings.

The SALT-WATER DUCKS, or DIVING-DUCKS, are for the most part of a heavier build than the foregoing species, and many are of a sombre coloration. All the species are expert divers, and in consequence have the legs, which are short, placed far backwards, and this causes them to assume a more upright carriage when on land. The curious bony bulb at the base of the windpipe found in the fresh-water species becomes in the salt-water forms greatly enlarged, and its walls incompletely ossified, leaving large spaces to be filled by peculiarly delicate sheets of membrane. The majority of the species in this section frequent the open sea, but some occur inland.

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