75 GANNET OR BOOBY Gannets are large long-winged sea-birds with stout conical pointed bills, serrated along the commissure. They are expert fishers, fly round over a shoal of fish at a height of 60 to 100 feet above the surface and periodically dive headlong into the water with the half-closed wings; this dive comes next t the stoop of the Peregrine as the most impressive sight afforded by a bird on the wing (Smythies). They have been frequently seen along the coasts of India but I have not come across any name for the bird in any Indian language including Sanskrit. Its method of fishing however, reminds one of the following verse (already quoted with reference to the Osprey which sometimes fishes in the tidal waters) :- मत्स्यरडक निरातङक लवणाम्भसि मज्जसि । इयं हि जाठरी ज्वाला व्याकुलीकुरुते न कम् ? ॥ – उद्भट with the Osprey or the King-fisher It may well share the name associated with inland lakes and rivers. 76 TROPIC BIRD - Tropic-birds are about the size of the small Gulls and resemble them in habits and appearance. They are rare along the Indian coasts and no Indian name is recorded for them. Generally speaking a Tropic Bird would pass for a समुद्रकाक
