. The animals of New Zealand; an account of the dominion's air-breathing vertebrates . n the tunnel is molested, the old bird makes avigorous defence of its offspring, using beak and claws with muchspirit, at the same time uttering cries not very unlike the mewingof a cat. Order four toes connected together by a broad membrane. Throatfurnished with a pouch. Key to the Genera. Bill pointed at the tii). Sula. Bill booked at the tii). Ihalacrocorax. THE GANNET 299 Genus stout, pointed; the nostrils completely closed in very large and pointed, the first ciui
. The animals of New Zealand; an account of the dominion's air-breathing vertebrates . n the tunnel is molested, the old bird makes avigorous defence of its offspring, using beak and claws with muchspirit, at the same time uttering cries not very unlike the mewingof a cat. Order four toes connected together by a broad membrane. Throatfurnished with a pouch. Key to the Genera. Bill pointed at the tii). Sula. Bill booked at the tii). Ihalacrocorax. THE GANNET 299 Genus stout, pointed; the nostrils completely closed in very large and pointed, the first ciuill longest. Tail wedge-shaped. Claw of the middle toe serrated. Temperate and tropical seas. The Gannet.—Takupu. Sula serrator. White, with the top and sides of the head buff. Quills and four middletail feathers black. Bill horn-colour, tinged with blue. Legs and toesgreenish yellow, the webs brown. Eye pale silvery brown. Length ofthe wing, 18 of the tarsus, in. The young have the upper surfacebrown spotted with white. Egg—White, length 3 in. Australia andNew Gannet. (Meyer.) The gannet is coimuon in the northern parts of New Zealand,but is rarely seen south of Cook Strait. It breeds on the GreatBarrier Island; White Island, in the Bay of Plenty; and GannetIsland, off Kawhia. The nests are placed very close together, andare roughly composed of grass and seaweed. It is a veryawkward bird on land, but an excellent flier, soaring over the sea,and darting down, with closed wings, on any fish that may be 300 THE ANIMALS OP NEW ZEALAND near the surface, disappearing under the waves, and coming upagain at some little distance with its prey in its mouth. It isremarkable that it should not occur at the Chatham Islands. Cormorants. Genus Phalacrocorax. Bill straight, rather slender, hooked at the tip; the nostrilsrudimentary. Wings moderate, pointed, the second and thirdquills longest. Tail rounded or wedge-shaped. Claw of themiddle toe pectinate. The whole world,
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