Cormorants 3^ 



goes, frequents fresh water lochs or inland lakes and meres, as the 

 larger species habitually does. It is exceedingly plentiful round 

 inan\' parts of our coast, but more esj)eciall\' on the western sea- 

 boards of Scotland and Ireland, whose wild and indented cliffs 

 form suitable sites for nesting purposes. 



?>Iany of these precipitous cliffs are honey-combed at their base 

 with caves, generally ha\ing a considerable depth of water in them, 

 even at low tide. These caves are the joy of the Shags, and here 

 they may be found l:)reeding in numbers, perhaps a dozen or more 

 nests being placed close together. Their nesting-sites are not limited 

 to these spots : there may be none in their locality, and then they 

 will choose ledges and fissures on the cliff face, generally fairly near 

 the top, and in such recesses it is seldom that two pairs are found 

 breeding in close pro.ximity. I do not think the bird is naturally 

 gregarious, but the gloomy, water-washed ca\-es form such secure 

 and ideal nesting sites, that they are much sought after b}- the birds, 

 until every ledge becomes packed with nests. Not because they 

 care for each other's company, but because they like the spot. 



The nests are seldom placed at any great height above the water 

 (8-10 feet), and during rough weather the birds must be heavily 

 and continually drenched with spray. The structure of the nest 

 is rather more elaborate than those of many sea-birds, being 

 consti'ucted in the main of sea-weed put together with some care, 

 together with any oddments the bird has picked up at sea — bits of 

 stick, rags, and even bits of paper. The inside is neatly furnished 

 with grass or finer liits of sea-weed. The eggs, the books tell us, 

 are three to five in number ; m\- experience does not confirm this 

 statement. Three, 1 think, is the usual number, two are common, 

 four rare, and I have never yet seen five eggs in a nest. The egg 

 itself is of a curioush" long, oval shape, small for the size of the bird, 

 light blue in ground colour, and overlaid with the same chalky, 

 white material already spoken of in the case of the Gannet. 



I ha\'e taken a boat round into many of these caves, and the 

 effect is curious coming in from the bright sunlight outside into the 

 gloom and darkness. Above overhead, one hears hoarse croaks 

 of the Shags, round about \ou hear something splashing in the water, 

 possibh' a seal examining the strange visitors, or, it may be, some 

 of the Shags tumbling off their nests; and gradually, as one's eyes 

 become more used to the twilight, one is able to distinguish a row 

 of long, dark necks stretched down from a ledge on the rock nearly 

 above one's head, their emerald green ejes blinking angrily at the 

 intruder. 



If one decides to inspect the nests, supposing they can be got 

 at at all (for, of course, many of these cave-colonies are absolutely 

 inaccessible), and commences climbing up to them, the birds keep 

 on darting their necks over the side, croaking and snapping their 

 bills, and, finally, when almost within reach of one's hand, they 

 hustle off with a noisy clatter, some flying out to the mouth of the 



