No. in THE JACKSONIAN OOLOGICAL COLLECTION. 
A. J. 
Data Campbell's No. of 
No. Book. Eggs. 
308 724 4 LITTLE BLACK AND WHITE CORMORANT, 
Phalacrocorax melanoleucus, Vieillot. 
Set of 4 eggs, taken with many others at Lavadia, Clarence River, N.S.W., on the 11th of Sep- 
tember, 1898. (See A. J. Campbell’s Book, page 978.) 
Like the preceding species we found these birds breed- 
ing in hundreds; their nests were similar to those of 
the Little Black Cormorant, and also the eggs, and we 
had to exercise great care in taking them in order not 
to get the sets and the two species mixed. Each set 
was numbered in pencil as it was removed from the 
nest, to thus avoid any possibility of a mistake. The 
eggs of both species varied from 2 to 5 for a sitting, 
but 3 eggs seemed to be the usual number in most 
a 
os 
cases. The trees were simply alive with birds sitting 
upon their nests, and their peculiar croaking noise 
sounded like thousands of frogs. These birds are very 
destructive to young fish, and destroy vast quantities 
of them, and the various Governments have from time 
to time been buying up dead birds at so much a head, 
in order to try and reduce their numbers. What about 
our account if they allowed us a bonus on each egg 
we took of these useless creatures. ? Taken by L. 
Vesper, G. Cutney, Frank and Sid. W. Jackson. 
During the latter part of May this year (1907), the 
Fisheries Board in Sydney received an intimation from 
Inspector Paton upon the condition of Smith’s Lake, 
which is situated a little south of Cape Hawke, on the 
north coast of New South Wales, and reference was 
made toa curious habit of the Cormorants (locally Tree containing 30 nests of the Little Black and 
known as Shags), amongst the fish. The inspector Little Black and White Cormorant. 
stated that the methods of the birds showed a remark- 
able sagacity. The lake is splendidly stocked with 
Loc., Lavadia, Clarence River. 
(Note the four men up the tree at the nests.) 
many varieties of fish, 
owing to its rest from 
the use of fishing nets 
for 18 months, and 
many of the smaller 
species are present in 
ineredible numbers. 
The birds, which in- 
fest the lake number 
many thousands, and 
carry on their depre- 
dations amongst the 
fish with a marvel- 
lous amount of disci- 
pline and concerted 
action. One flock, 
ich w: imate : : oe 
ees Sepa es is Canoe displayed with nests and eggs of the Little Black and Little Black and White 
to contain about 2000 Cormorants. Loc., Lavadia, Clarence River. 
53 
