THE CORMORANTS AND SHAGS. 215 



a lining. There is also generally a lining of fresh green leaves 

 of sea-parsley or some other plant, according to Mr. Seebohm. 



Eggs. — Two or three in number. The ground-colour is 

 green, but this is generally obscured by a chalky-white cover- 

 ing, which can be scraped off. Axis, 2-4-2-8 inches; diam., 

 I-5-I75- 



II. THE SHAG. PHALACROCORAX GRACULUS. 



Fekcanus graculus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 217 (1766). 



Phalacrocorax graadus, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 392 (1852) ; Dresser, 

 B. Eur. vi. p. 163, pi. 389 (1879); B. O. U. List Br. B. 

 p. 106 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 151 

 (1884); Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 656 (1885); Saunders, 

 Man. Br. B. p. 351 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part 

 xxii. (1892). 



[Plate LIl.) 



Adult Male. — General colour above and below black, with a 

 bottle green or oily-green gloss, all the feathers margined with 

 velvety-black on the mantle, scapulars, and wing-coverts, these 

 parts having also a bronzy reflection; tail-feathers twelve ; 

 " inside of mouth and skin round the gape pale orange-yellow ; 

 naked skin of chin and throat black, thickly dotted with yellow ; 

 feet and toes blackish ; iris bright green " ( W. R. Ogilvie- 

 Grant). Total length, 27 inches; culmen, 2*5; wing, ii-o; 

 tail, 5-5 ; tarsus, 2-35. 



Adult Female. — Similar to the male. Total length, 26 inches ; 

 wing, 10-5. 



Young Birds — Brown above, glossed with green, the feathers 

 edged with darker brown, which becomes much abraded and 

 turns to whity-brown, the tail-feathers being margined with 

 whity-brown ; sides of face and under surface of body brown, 

 the throat white, and the lower abdomen also dingy-white ; 

 feet and toes reddish. The young Shags can always be dis- 

 tinguished from young Cormorants by their twelve tail-feathers, 

 and they are browner underneath. 



The black plumage is assumed in the first spring, and is 

 accomphshed by a gradual darkening of the feathers of the 



