“At the period of my second visit with Mr AUDUBON (the 19th August 1835), the nests in most places had almost entirely disappeared, for it is only during incubation that the birds keep them in constant repair. The young were in various stages, a few quite small and covered all over with white down, the greater number partially fledged, with the down remaining on the head and neck, and some nearly ready to fly, and having merely a few tufts of down on the hind neck. The young lay flat, either on the remnants of their nest, or on the bare rock or ground. They are very patient and uncomplaining; in fact, none uttered a single cry while we were inspecting them. I observed an old bird, with its own young beside it, squeeze the neck of another youngling with considerable force The poor bird bore the persecution with perfect resignation, and merely cowered under the bill of the tyrant. The young of the latter also attacked its neighbour, but was instantly checked, on which it meekly desisted. One of the men informed me that last year there were fourteen nests, each with two eggs. In such cases, one of the young is said to be much smaller than the other.” PELECANUS BASSANUS, _Linn._ Nat. vol. i. p. 217.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 891. SULA BASSANA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 408. GANNET, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 495. Adult Male. Plate CCCXXVI. Fig. 1. Bill longer than the head, opening beyond the eyes, straight, elongated-conical, moderately compressed. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and declinate, at the end convex and a little decurved; ridge very broad, convex, with a slight median carina, and separated on each side, from the sides, which are nearly perpendicular, slightly convex, and have an additional narrow jointed piece below the eye; edges sharp, direct, irregularly serrate, with numerous slender cuts directed backwards; tip compressed, a little decurved, rather acute. No external nostrils. Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line straight, ascending, the sides erect, convex, the edges sharp and serrated, the tip compressed and sharp. Head large; neck of moderate length and very thick, body of moderate bulk, rather elongated; wings long. Feet short, strong, placed rather far behind; tibiæ concealed; tarsus very short, rounded before, sharp behind, at its upper part anteriorly with rather large roundish-flat scales, in the rest of its extent with very small oblong tubercles; anteriorly there are three lines of small transversely oblong scutella, which rim down the toes. The latter are long and slender, all united by membranes, which are reticularly granulated, and have their margins straight; first toe rather small, directed inwards and forwards, middle toe longest, the outer almost equal. Claws of moderate size, slightly arched, those of the first and middle toes depressed, the latter with its inner edge thin and pectinated.