BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 27 



of white. Legs, toes, membranes, and claws black. 



The female is said not to be so large as the 

 male, but has her crest often longer. 



Situation and Local if i/. — On ledges of cliff by 

 the sea, and also inland, on low rocky islands and 

 reefs, sometimes in trees. The bird breeds pretty 

 generally round our coasts wherever suitable cliffs 

 and rocks are to be found, and has established 

 inland colonies at several places. We were unfor- 

 tunately unable to land on the Cormorant Eock at 

 the Fame Islands on account of a heavy sea running, 

 at the time we visited it in 1894. As we approached, 

 the birds left their nests one by one and flew out to 

 sea. The stench on the leeward side of the island 

 was so intolerable that it turned my brother sick. 

 In spite of this he, however, tried two Hying 

 shots from the boat ; but the tide runs amongst 

 the Fame group like a millrace, and we were soon 

 carried out of focus. Next year (1895) we were 

 determined to land upon the Cormorants' Eock 

 (Megstone), and at length succeeded in doing so at 

 considerable personal risk, but, alas ! only to find 

 that a recent gale had swept every nest and egg 

 off it. We, however, took a photograph of the new 

 nests tlie birds were busy building, as represented 

 in our illustration. 



Materials. — Sticks, twigs, and coarse grass or 

 seaweed, depending upon locality. It is a large, 

 high nest. 



Eggs. — Three generally, but sometimes as many 

 as five or six. The real shell is a pale blue, but 

 this is usually hidden by a thick coating of chalk 

 which can easily be scraped off. Sometimes the 

 real shell shows through tlie casing of lime. Size 

 about 2-6 by 1*62 in. 



Time. — April, May, and June. 



