AND OTHER BIRDS 163 



Scotland and Victoria, persistent observation 

 and experiments have shown that the birds fed 

 chiefly on the enemies of the Ashes' eggs. 



^ly k)eal experience, too, goes to prove that the 

 presence of Shags in considerabk^ nimiljers is 

 no bar to stocking snital)le water. On Tutira 

 the trout are increasing fast, although on the 

 lake and on the run I have allowed 3io Shags to 

 be molested in any way whatsoever; and it may 

 yet prove in New Zealand that the indiscriminate 

 slaughter of Shags will turn out to be inimical 

 to the very interests sought to be preserved. 



In Stewart Island saleable lish is mostly 

 obtained in the open sea, yet the Shags of every 

 species draw their main supply of food from the 

 inlets. At any rate, it is quite unlikely that 

 every species of Shag does equal harm, and it 

 may well happen that some of these persecuted 

 breeds destroy Crustacea that take the eggs and 

 fry of the Blue Cod, and other marketable fish. 



On the long, deep arms of the sea and on the 

 creeks and estuaries of Stewart Island, besides 

 the Island species, are to be found the Pied 

 Shag, the Frilled Shag, and the White- 

 throated Shag. Of these, the Pied species has 

 by far the widest range. Although to be found 

 in largest numbers about the inlets he is 

 common, too, about the mouths of the tidal 

 creeks and even far up their sluggish waters. 

 Pied Shags may be seen also, in smaller 

 numbers, perched, like ornamental pinnacles, 

 upright on the rocky points of the outlying islets. 

 This Cormorant's expanse of white belly, neck, 

 and throat, make him, on the dark rocks and 

 against the greens of the bush, impossible to 

 overlook, and a closer approach shows him to be 



