The Coruiorants. 



129 



THE SHAG. 



(Pkalcarocorax 



grnciitns.) 



or three in number, of a chalky white, underneath which the real colour of the egg 



is green. They measure about two-and-a-half inches in length. The nestlings are 



at first naked and of a purplish black colour, but after a few days they become 



thickly covered with black down. 



The Shag is a smaller bird than the Cormorant, and is always 

 to be told in the young brown plumage by its having only 

 twelve tail-feathers. The general colour is of a bottle-green tint, 

 and instead of the ornamental white plumes which appear in the 



Cormorant, the Shag only dons a crest for the breeding season, but this is soon shed, 



like the white filaments in the Cor- 

 morant. It breeds on most of the 



rocky coasts of England, Scotland 



and Ireland, and is, in many places, 



more common than its larger ally. 



It is only found in Western Europe, 



but e.xtends into the Mediterranean 



Sea. 



Like the Cormorant, the Shag is 



a very powerful swimmer and diver, 



and is capable of descending to 



great depths. It breeds on ledges of 



cliffs or in caves, and makes a nest 



of dead sticks and sea-weed. The 



Thi; Gannet. 



The Cormok.\nt. The Shag. 



