THE CORMORANTS AND SHAGS. 2I5 



a lining. There is also generally a lining of fresli 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 o])scured by a chalky-white cover- 

 ing, whicli can be scraped off. Axis, 2'4-2'S inches; diam., 



II. THE SHAG. PHALACROCORAX GRACULUS. 



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



Fhalacrocorax graculus, 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 

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

 velvety-black on the mantle, scapulars, and wnng-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- 

 Grajit). 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 /ee'^/z'^ tail-feathers, 

 and they are browner underneath. 



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

 accomplished by a gradual darkening of the feathers of the 



