THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 85 



by the tide, but liacl tlie greatest difficulty in killing 

 and swallowing. This was the first time T ever saw a 

 wild Cormorant kill and eat a fish out of the water" 

 (Zool. 1884. p. 58). 



SHAG. — PJudacrocorax gramlus (Linu). 



A COMMON resident, met with at all seasons on our 

 coasts. The Rev. M. A. Mathew writes that the 

 Shag breeds on the cliffs of both N. and S Devon, 

 Mr. Pershouse finds it very numerous at times in 

 Torbay, and Gatcombe observed large numbers in 

 the month of May about Wembury Cliffs, where they 

 presumably bred. 



GANNET.— .^?</« hassana (Linn). 



A RESIDENT species, a few pairs breeding on Lundy 

 Island, but for the most part a winter and spring 

 visitant in mat are plumage, young birds being of 

 decidedly uncommon occurrence. Adults often make 

 their appearance in hundreds. Baron A von. Hiigel 

 writes, under date February 11th 1874 : " About a 

 fortnight ago, a flock of several hundred birds were 

 following a shoal of fish o:ff Paignton, and the effect 

 produced by the contrast of the lovely white of 

 their plumage against the leaden sky and deep 

 green sea was very striking" (Zool. 1874. p. 3906). 

 Similarly, hundreds appeared in the channel off 

 Rame Head in January, 1876, and such were their 

 numbers, that one fisherman described them as 

 " falling like a snow shower " in their pursuit of 



