THE GREEN CORMORANT. 289 



THE GREEN CORMORANT, OR SHAG. 



ENGLISH SYNONYMS. Green Cormorant: McGillivray, Morris, Selby. 

 Shag: Montagu, Willoughby, McGillivray, Latham, Flemming. Crested 

 Cormorant : Morris. Crested Shag : Montagu, Selby, Jenyns. 



LATIN SYNONYMS. Pelicanus graculus : Linn., Latham, Montagu, Bewick. 

 Phalacrocorax graculus: Cuvier, Brisson, Rennies, Montagu, McGilli- 

 vray, Stephens, Flemming. Phalacrocorax cristatus: Meyer, Temminck. 



FRENCH SYNONYMS. Cormoran Larcup : Temminck. Petit Cormoran, or 

 Nigaud : Buffon. Cormoran Nigaud : Figuier. 



LOCAL SYNONYMS. Black Cormorant, Crested Cormorant, Shag, Scart, 

 Scarer, Green Scout, and the Booby Cormorant. 



This species is in weight about four pounds ; the bill is dusky, 

 and about four inches in length ; a bare yellow skin is situated 

 along the sides of the mouth and chin, the latter speckled with 

 black. The whole bird appears black at a little distance., but on 

 nearer examination, the head, neck, breast, and rump are of a 

 glossy green. The feathers of the upper part of the back, scapu- 

 lars, and wing coverts are pointed, and beautifully glossed with 

 purple, violet, and green, each feather being edged with a velvety 

 black ; the under part of the body is less glossed with green ; the 

 legs are dusky black ; middle claw serrated. 



The female weighs over three pounds ; the upper part of her 

 body is dark, not so densely glossed as in the male ; but the margin 

 of the feathers of the scapulars and wing coverts is black, the 

 under part dusky, with a mixture of grey. 



Such is Colonel Montagu's description of a pair shot from the 

 nest, but they vary in plumage and colour. In habit the Shag 

 is strictly a salt-water bird, never visiting fresh water, breed- 

 ing on our rocky coasts, where it builds a nest of stick and sea- 

 weed. They resort to the maritime caves of the Hebrides in such 

 vast numbers that they literally cover the sea to a considerable 

 extent when on their passage from the caves of Liuir and Toehead to 

 their fishing- grounds in the sound. Mr. McGillivray has counted 

 a hundred and five in one flock. This picture Mr. McGillivray 

 makes the text for one of his most delightful descriptions : 



" There is a large cave," he says, " on the west coast of Harris, 

 celebrated for the number of Shags which reside on it, and so lofty 

 that a boat can enter it to a considerable distance with lowering the 



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