The Zoologist — June, 1866. 249 



feeding. They seem always very amiable. Tliey always stand, day 

 and night, head to wind and in a row, for if not so they would destroy 

 each other by theiFpowerful evacuations, which are often cast ten or 

 twelve feet from them. It is twelve o'clock, p.m., and a pufFof wind, 

 as if from a furnace, strikes us, followed by one the very reverse ; the 

 anchor is up, and we make for the harbour of Howth, the lugs reefed 

 down to mere pocket-handkerchiefs, and yet with four of us silting on 

 the windward-gunnel every blast lugs us gunnel under. We reach 

 Howth Harbour, seven miles from Lambay, safely, and also seven miles 

 from home, a good bed and tumbler of punch, both of which I put 

 faith in after a hard day. With daylight we cross the bay and are 

 home to breakfast. 



Flight. — The shag's flight is generally low ; I have never seen it take 

 such elevated flights as the cormorant : it is powerful and very rapid, 

 making quick headway against the strongest gales : it is performed 

 by rapid beats and occasional sailings of the wings. The neck is 

 carried out straight, and the feet beneath the tail. In turning the flight 

 is slow, and is generally performed by a long curve. When alarmed 

 it will throw itself, as it were, round, and is some time getting up full 

 speed again. The impetus of its flight is very great. I have seen 

 birds killed dead " duck and drake " along the water [ricochet, 

 I should say) for twenty or thirty yards. It never fishes, as some have 

 said, from the air, by suddenly darting into the water: they have 

 mistaken the young gannet for it. In rising from the water it strikes 

 it with the wings and feet, and will often make several eff'orts before 

 getting up, particularly if full of fish, though at most times it rises with 

 no more difficulty than any heavy diving bird. 



Diving — The shag puts more faith in its diving than in its flying 

 power, if in danger : it must therefore think itself good at it. I always 

 found it a pretty good diver, some even attaining powers little inferior 

 to that of the great northern diver. It will generally when swimming 

 permit you to get a shot, sitting half submerged. If missed it will try 

 and avoid giving you a second chance, sinking the body and saturating 

 the feathers of the back, so that shot slips off them as if greased. 

 The dives exceed sometimes a hundred yards, though generally thev 

 are short and dodgy. The wings are and are not used under water. 

 The bird generally sits deep in the water, the neck straight and at 

 right angles to the body, the head parallel to the body. I have 

 never seen the head thrust under water, as some say, to look for fish, 

 neither do I believe that the shag sees his prey till he finds them oa 



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