PHALACROCORAX GEACULUS 155 



PHALACROCORAX GRACULUS (Linnaeus). 

 SHAG. 



Pelecanus graculus, Linn. Sijst. Nat. i, p. 217 (1766). 



Phalacrocorax graculus, Pall. Zoogr. Boss. -As. ii, p. 299 (1811) ; 



Oijilvic-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xsvi, p. 364 ; Locke, Expl. Sci. 



Al,j. Ois. ii, p. 64 (1867). 

 Carbo graculus, Malkerbe, Cat. Bais. d'Ois. Alg. p. 23 (1846). 



Description. — Adult male, winter, from Sardinia. 



Entire plumage blackish-gi-een, more glossy on the head and neck, and 

 tinged with bronze on the back, scapulars, and upper wing-coverts, the 

 feathers of which are fringed with velvety-black ; tail, quills and underparts 

 rather more dusky ; head with a conspicuous crest curving forwards from 

 the occiput. Tail-feathers twelve in number. 



Iris green ; bill black ; the nail yellowish ; feet black ; bare space round 

 the eye black ; bare space on the chin yellowish. 



Total length 28-50, wing 10, culmen 3-25, tarsus 2'35. 



Adult female, similar to the male, but rather smaller. 



The Shag appears to have been met with both in Algeria and 

 Mai'occo, and although there is no actual record of its occurrence in 

 Tunisia, there is every reason to believe that it is also to be found, 

 though perhaps rarely, on the coasts of the Regency, particularly as 

 the species occurs throughout the Mediterranean, and in some locali- 

 ties is even abundant. 



By some ornithologists the Mediterranean Shag is considered to 

 be distinct from typical P. graculus (L.), and has been separated 

 under the name of P. desmaresti, Payraudeau. I am not in a 

 position to say whether there are good grounds for specific distinction, 

 or even for a subspecific one, but may observe that examples are 

 obtained from time to time in the Mediterranean, which do not differ 

 appreciably in any way from those from more northern seas. 



More exclusively marine than the preceding species in its tastes 

 and habits, the Shag is rarely found away from the sea-coast, or on 

 inland lakes or rivers. It is essentially gregarious, and may often 

 be observed in considerable numbers. In the localities it frequents 

 it is said to be sedentary. 



Its food consists of sea-fish, which it captures in the same way 



