The Zoologist — June, 1866. 253 



Nidijicalion. — The shag begins to nest from late in April, though 

 the greater part wait, I think, till the beginning of May. They always 

 breed in marine stations, such as among the crevices or shelves of 

 isolated rocks, islands and cliffs ; but the darling spot is a cave into 

 which the sea flows. They breed still on Lambay, though in 

 diminished numbers, since English and Irish " egg grabbers " and 

 "dealers" set their blighting feet upon it — men 1 have seen taking 

 home basketfuls of eggs, for what ? The nest is composed of sea- 

 weed and other floating rubbish, sometimes lined with grasses. The 

 eggs are four, sometimes five, long and slender (they vary so much 

 that measurements are useless), covered with a coat of a limy substance, 

 pure white at first, but soon soiled; the egg itself is watery bluish or 

 geeenish. I should say the egg was nourishing; the white is very 

 gelatinous when raw, the yelk flavoured like cod-liver oil, and most 

 likely equally nutritious. The bird does not sit erect always, but 

 horizontally on the eggs; the erect position I attributed to alarm, 

 being thus ready to spring oS". On land the bird walks well, though 

 somewhat awkwardly, the foot being lifted high. 



Plumages. — No. 1. The young when first excluded from the egg are 

 devoid of feathers, except a ievr blackish hair-like things similar to 

 goose-hairs ; the skin is of a bluish black colour. 



No. 2. After a few days the body is covered with a longish and 

 greasy-feeling black or sooty down. 



No. 3. Link 1. A mixture of No. 2: the down and the new 

 feathers of first plumage. 



No. 4. First Pfumage, counted by me as the first summer. Descrip- 

 Hon : Upper Surface. — From the base of bill along top of head 

 and the neck brown, with a bronze ^o?,^, faintly green in some lights ; 

 edges of the feathers cream-colour. Shoulders and scapulars dull 

 brown, with a brown-bronze gloss ; a green shade can be seen if looked 

 for; a dark band at end of feather : in many individuals this band is 

 very indistinct, and only seen in certain lights; the tip of the feather 

 broadly fringed with cream-colour. Wing-coverts the same, but no . 

 band at tip. Back, rump, tail-coverts, sides and thighs bronze-brown, 

 fringed with tawny. Quills and tail brownish black, outer filaments 

 glossed with bronze. Under Surface. — Sides of neck and throat 

 brown; edges broad and creamy white. Throat, breast and centre 

 of belly cream -white ; centres of some of the feathers of breast, and 

 belly pale brown ; sides of heWy pale brown ; the edges of the feathers 

 broad and cream-colour. Chin and vent pure white. The centre of 



