GREEN CORMORANT. 395 



the upper parts become of a lighter tint ; and the tail-feathers 

 are usually much worn at the end. 



Habits. — The Crested Cormorant, which is generally 

 distributed along our coasts, and very abundant in many 

 parts of Scotland, especially the western and northern islands, 

 is, like the other species, a constant inhabitant, frequenting 

 the caves and fissures of the rocky headlands and unfrequented 

 islands. It reposes at night in these caverns, or on shelves 

 of the rocks, often in great numbers, being of a social dispo- 

 sition, but keeping apart from other birds. Its roosting 

 places are always rendered conspicuous by the great quantity 

 of white dung with which they are crusted. It is pleasant to 

 see them emerge from their abodes on some wild coast before 

 sunrise, and silently wing their way in files toward their 

 fishing-grounds. They fly low, with uninterrupted beats of 

 their wings, keeping at an inconsiderable height, and scarcely 

 ever crossing an isthmus, however narrow. On arriving at 

 some sandy bay, or shallow straight, they alight in succession, 

 coming heavily upon the water, shake themselves, and com- 

 mence their search by immersing their heads. On perceiving 

 an object, the Scart darts forward in a curve, rising out of the 

 Avater, and then plunging headlong. Its agility in this 

 element is astonishing, and it often remains submersed from 

 one to two minutes. Its food consists of small fishes, such as 

 the young of Gadus carbonarius, which are extremely abun- 

 dant on all our northern coasts. It is not nearly so shy as 

 the Great Cormorant, and I have seen it pursuing its prey 

 almost in the immediate neighbourhood of many persons who 

 were fishing with small nets for the fry above named ; but 

 yet in such cases it keeps deep in the water, and is easily 

 frightened away. The habits of this bird are so similar to 

 those of the last, that I cannot avoid repetition in describing 

 them ; and therefore, to give some variety, I shall here intro- 

 duce from my note-book of 1818, the short notice which I 

 then thought sufficient for the purpose : — 



Pelecanus Graculus, Scart, Scarbh. Inhabit the mari- 

 time caves of the Hebrides, to which they resort in vast 

 numbers. In the morning, they may be seen at South Town, 



