Identifier: britishseabirds00dixo (find matches)
Title: British sea birds ..
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Dixon, Charles, 1858-
Subjects: Sea birds
Publisher: London, Bliss, Sands and Foster
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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i84 BRITISH SEA BIRDS. uttering harsh cries, the flying birds silently driftingto and fro in a mazy bewildering throng. Many ofthe flying birds are carrying nest materials ; manyof the birds standing on the rocks are fast asleep!On every side the Gannets are eyeing yoususpiciously, some disgorging fish previous totaking wing, others barking defiance as you approachthem, and stubbornly remaining upon their egg untilabsolutely pushed from it. Rock, sea, and air teemwith birds. It will, however, be remarked that noneof the birds fly over the land ; all keep to the faceof the cliffs. At the Bass Rock, numbers of youngGannets used to be taken for food, the proprietorbaking quantities, and selling them to the countrypeople round about. The taste for baked SolanGeese, however, is not so prevalent as formerly, andthe custom seems likely to die out. At St. Kilda,however, the Gannet harvest still continues to begathered, and the young birds form a welcomearticle of food. Ducks^ Geese, and Swans
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CHAPTER V.DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS. Ducks—Characteristics—Non- —Characteristics and Changes diving Ducks — Characteristics of Plumage—Red-breasted Mer- of—Changes of Plumage—Sliel- ganser — Goosander — Stnew — drake—Wigeon—Pintail Duch Geese— Characteristics— Gray — Various other species—Diving Lag Goose— White-fronted Goose Ducks: Characteristics—Changes —Bean Goose — Brent Goose of Phanage—EiaerDuck—Ki?ig — Bernacle Goose — Swans — Eider—Coinmon Scoter—Velvet Characteristics — Chafiges of Scoter—Scaup Duck—Tufted Plumage — Hooper Swan—Be- Duck—Pochard—Golden-Eye— wicks Swan.Long-tailed Duck—Mergansers MOST of the species contained in the presentchapter can only be described as Sea-birdsduring winter. In summer they are chiefly inlandspecies, and resort to fresh waters. Again, themajority of these birds do not breed within thelimits of the British Islands; they are wintervisitors from more northern lands, and retu

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