BIRD-LIFE UPON THE CLIFFS. 211 



with grass and straws or turf, and sometimes 

 the bare ground alone is the resting-place for the 

 two or three eggs. Then later on the nestlings 

 may be seen. The young Gulls remain upon 

 the cliffs until they are fledged, but they do not 

 keep in the nest, wandering out on to the ledges 

 close by, and here they may be seen sitting 

 motionless as the rock itself until the old birds 

 arrive with food. 



Another interesting bird that breeds in some 

 numbers all along the south coast of Devonshire 

 is the Shag. Many Shags nest in the midst of 

 this colony of Herring Gulls, selecting holes 

 and fissures in the cliffs, places as a rule quite 

 inaccessible to man. Many such breeding places 

 may be detected with the aid of the field-glass. 

 We remember one hole in particular, where every 

 year the young Shags may be seen craning their 

 long necks out, waiting for their parents to bring 

 them food. The coast between Berry Head and 

 Kingswear is a noted haunt of this species. There 

 are many isolated rock masses, some of them 

 mere reefs at low water, and on these the Shags 

 delight to gather and preen their plumage. We 

 have often seen these rocks literally black 



