542 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



There are probably few species whose breeding range is as ex- 

 tensive as that of this Cormorant; it is found, in fact, on the 

 Atlantic coast of America, and thence extends within the same 

 parallels of latitude across Greenland, Iceland, Great Britain, 

 Germany, and Scandinavia, as far as Japan; while in the south 

 it reaches South Australia and New Zealand. 



346. Shag [SEERABE]. 

 CAKBO GRACULUS, Meyer. 1 



Heligolandish : Liitj Klewff-Skwarwer = .Li^e Cormorant. 



Halieus graculus. Nauniann, xi. 88. 



Shag. Dresser, vi. 163. 



Cormoran largup. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 900, iv. 565. 



This species visits Heligoland still more rarely than the preced- 

 ing, though it hardly ever appears solitary, but usually in 

 groups of from three to five individuals. It occupies the day in 

 fishing on the sea ; and, like its larger-sized relative, after sunset 

 retires for the night to the rocks of the island. It is but rarely 

 shot here ; nevertheless, on one occasion I succeeded in bringing 

 down a brace of them at one discharge of my double-barrelled gun. 

 I happened to be by the shore one fine calm evening after sunset, 

 and seeing Aeuckens pere and another shooter hurriedly pushing a 

 boat into the water, I lent a hand in good comradeship ; espying, 

 however, a gun lying in the bottom of the boat, I jumped in with- 

 out further ado, and pushed off with the others. Then only I 

 learnt that Aeuckens had discovered the sleeping-berth of three 

 Shags, and was going to try his luck at obtaining one or two of 

 them. The gun was without further consideration entrusted to my 

 charge. Noiselessly we rowed along, until we got underneath the 

 spot, high above which the birds were sitting, boding no ill. As 

 they were not visible from the boat, we suddenly made a loud noise 

 with our oars, which drove all three flying in alarm from their 

 shelter. Their black bodies formed excellent targets against the 

 red evening sky, and my swift double shot was at once followed by 

 two heavy splashes in the water. Shooters will pardon this 

 little story. Many years have flown by since then ; and at all 

 times it does one good to live in one's memory again happy 

 moments of sport experienced in the vanished past. 



Before I collected, Oelrich Aeuckens once in winter caught a 

 very light green Cormorant, with light green eyes, and in size 



1 Phalacrocorax graculus (Linn.). 



