GANNET ABANDONS THE SEA

Evening Star, Issue 22070, 2 July 1935, Page 6

GANNET ABANDONS THE SEA

ENGLAND’S STRANGEST FAMILY In a tiny Juit, set snugly in the cup of a rocky bay hear Ventnor, Isle of Wight, lives England’s strangest family. There ate thrfee members —Mr G. P. Howard, fisherman, d black cat, and Jack—a gannet. First of his race to play fidus Achates to the human species, Jack is the wonder and admiration of the garden isle. Pattering along the boulders of Steephill Cove, passing his murderous beak in idle banter with the black cat while he waits the return of his master, he is drawing each day a larger gallery of holiday-makers. A year ago Mr Howard found him drooping, moribund, wave-tossed, a full 200 miles from the nearest haunt of stay-at-honie gahnets. Be drew him aboard, cherished him, fed him With whole iriackerel. and nursed him hack to health. His happiest moment, ho recalls, came when at last the nfeWly* named Jack fluttered a tli fee-foot wing and cocked a cerulean eye of gratitude, which meant that the worst was over. From that day Jack has been ft one-> man gannet. The cat’s frivolity he will tolerate, and fUr and feather together Will rough a lid tumble from dawn till dusk. But from the moment when Mr. Howard’s boat draws in lie has but ono solace in the captivity from which he never seeks to escape. Mr Howard said to an interviewer: “ I have liad this Hut for 45 years. But eight years ago, when T became a widower. 1 decided to lire here. Jack is a rare friend to me when 1 aln lonely. If over he wanders and gets shut'out, sooner or later there will be a tap on the door, t know the sound. It is Jack’s beak, and Jack wants to come in. I have been offered money for him,” be added, “ but it wouldn’t pay for the lint and iodine I used to pull him round.’*