SHAG. 491 



ficient distinction between them, when as young birds 

 they are more alike in colour. The matured Cormorant 

 and the Shag both bear crests in spring, and the early 

 part of summer, but neither of them have a crest in winter, 

 while the young and immature birds of both these species 

 have no crest either in winter or summer. It is also com- 

 mon to find the crested mature birds associating and breed- 

 ing in one locality, and the non-crested immature birds 

 congregating, but not breeding, in another. 



In the localities visited, or in the habits of the Small, 

 or Green Cormorant, as compared with those of the larger 

 and darker-coloured bird, there are but few points of dif- 

 ference. The Shag, it is said, never quits the salt water 

 to follow the course of a river, nor does it settle on trees 

 like the Cormorant. They generally build lower down on 

 the rocks, nearer the water, than the Cormorants, but in 

 companies like them ; and Montagu says he has seen 

 thirty nests close together on a small rock. The nest is 

 formed of sea-weed, the eggs, three or four in number, in 

 shape and colour like those of its generic companion, but 

 they measure only two inches five lines in length, by one 

 inch and five lines in breadth. These birds live on fish, 

 in pursuit of which they exhibit all the skill of the Cor- 

 morant, and have a similarly-serrated claw, but as neither 

 of them are observed to attempt to catch, or to hold fish 

 with their feet, it would seem that their serrated claw is 

 not used to enable them to retain a slippery prey ; while 

 from some remains of down and feather found adhering to 

 the serrations in one of the Bitterns, it would rather appear 

 that the pectinated claw was used to dress and arrange the 

 plumage. 



The depth of water to which marine diving-birds will 

 go in pursuit of prey, is greater perhaps than is generally 

 supposed. The Shag has been caught in a crab-pot fixed 



