WATCHING SHAGS AND GUILLEMOTS 169 



the hen, who flies before him, and then, having 

 followed her for a short distance, flings himself down, 

 throws back his head upon his back and rolls from 

 side to side, each time slowly passing the splendid white 

 feathers of first one and then another wing over the 

 velvet black plumage of his body, by which, of course, 

 they are shown to the very best advantage. The hen 

 commonly stops whilst he is doing this, and may 

 be supposed to pay some attention, but as to the 

 amount, as I write from memory after many years, 

 I will not here express an opinion. After a while the 

 male bird rises, again pursues the hen, again flings 

 himself down, and this is continued for a greater or 

 lesser number of times, till either he gives up the 

 chase, or the two have come to a thorough under- 

 standing. When thus rolling with wings spread out 

 and head thrown back upon himself the bird is in a 

 kind of ecstasy, and it is easy to go right up to him — 

 as I have myself done — and seize him by the neck 

 before he becomes aware of one's presence. 



These antics therefore — though in a bird so different 

 as the ostrich* — bear a considerable resemblance to 

 those of the shag, though the latter does not at any 

 time make use of his wings. This, again, is in- 

 teresting, for there is nothing specially handsome in 

 the wings of a cormorant. The crest, however, is 

 conspicuous as the head is flung up, and by the 

 opening of the bill, which is a very marked feature, 



* Having been led to speak of the ostrich, I will take this opportunity 

 of challenging the statement to be met with in several works of standing, 

 that the male bird alone performs the duties of incubation. I have 

 lived on an ostrich-farm and (unless I am dreaming) ridden round it 

 every afternoon in order to feed the hens, who had till then been sitting 

 on the eggs, and were often still to be seen so doing. 



