Their Eggs and Nests. 207 



save only in one instance, in which only one egg had 

 been laid. The weeds used as a covering were, more- 

 over, in the majority of instances, fresh, and evidently 

 procured by the Dabchick in virtue of her skill in 

 diving. The young birds swim and dive almost im- 

 mediately they are hatched, and are very persevering 

 little skulkers if disturbed on their breeding waters. 



ORDER. — STEGANOPODES. 

 FAMILY.— PELECANIDiE. 



COMMON COmiOUk.'^T—{Phalacrocorcix carbo). 

 Crested Cormorant, Corvorant, Great Black Cor- 

 morant, Cole Goose, Skart. — Wherever there are any 

 traces of a rocky coast about our island, there the 

 Cormorant is pretty sure to be found, so tliat he may 

 very well be described as a common bird. Where tlie 

 rocky coast is not only extensive, but not liable to 

 much disturbance from human intrusion, these birds 

 abound, and may be seen in numbers and observed to 

 anyone's heart's content. They build their nests, 

 which are of ample size, with sticks, sea-weed and 

 coarse herbage of any obtainable sort, on ledges of the 

 precipices ; and many nests are usually' formed in the 

 near neighbourhood of each other. They are much 

 disposed also to select as the situation for their nests a 

 rocky islet with cliffy sides, and woe to the nose of 

 anyone who approaches such an island rock from the 

 leeward side. What from the nature of their food 

 and the abundance of their excrement, an intolerably 



