-^^54 



TFTE P. ATRD Cr)R^rnR \XT. 



IJARl) c> 



■xpcricncf. as well a> innate suspicKin. has led 



llie Baird Cdt- 



nioranl long since to forsake the comfortaljle (|naiters of her easy-going kins- 

 men, the Brandt and the Wliite-crest, and to rear her young upon the bosses 

 and the inaccessible ledges of grim sea-cliffs. The ridges and crests belong to 

 the larger Sliags. hut tlie sides arc her domain. Her calculations are not 

 alvvavs infallible — your Shag is no Plate i — but ungetatal)ilit}' has been iier life 

 study, and her average attainments in this line are noteworthy. The sculp- 

 tured pillars and crannied sea-walls uf our Pacific Islands, the Olvnipiades. 

 are an especial delight tn her. and here the s]ieciesma\' be studied in ])erfection. 



There is scarcely an islet alouj^ nur 

 entire western cuast which does not boast 

 from one l" twemv pairs of these \-enture- 

 sorne birds, while the major isles and tiiore 

 abrupt protnontories may har])iir hundreds. 

 The Cormorants range themsehes in serried 

 ranks along the impossible ledges of Fuca"s 

 Pillar, looking collecti\el\' like l)lack buttles 

 on a druggist's shelves, or, more elegantly, 

 and at closer quarters, like ebony statuettes 

 on maiiile jicdestals. 



Cormorants plunge into the wildest 

 waters as fearlessly as sea-lions, ami they 

 carry on their fishing operations about the 

 shouklers of booming reefs, which humans 

 dare not ajiproach. After luncheons, which 

 occur (|uite frequent Iv in the 

 Cormorant da}', the birds lo\'e 

 to gather on some low-lying 

 reef, just abo\e the reach d' 

 the waves, and (le\ote the in- 

 tervening hours to that most 

 siilemii functidu of life, diges- 

 tion. There is no evidence that 

 the birds discuss oceanic ]ioli- 

 tics on these occasions; the 

 benevolent assimilation of a 

 twel\-e-inch Cultus Cod is pre- 

 sumed (o be anqile occupatiiTU 

 for union hours. 



As might be inferred from 

 their choice of nesting sites, 

 Baird Cormorants are more 



/'. 



Author. 



DOHODAALUH PltLAK. 



A NESTING SITE OF THE BAIRD CORMORANTS. SOME OF WHICIC 



MAY BE DIMLY DISCERNED IN OUTLINE AGAINST 



ITS BATTLE-SCARRED SIDES. 



