328 The Zoologist — August, 1866. 



the side. Ears small and buried in the fur, a white spot of fur marking the place. 

 Eyes extremely small and buried in the fur, a small white hair spot above each eye. 

 Whiskers loii^ and silvery. Snout lighter coloured than the back, a rather indistinct 

 and broad streak of the dark back colour running down the centre of the nose. 

 Muzzle black. Feet large: toes bordered and covered above with silvery hairs ; under 

 parts of feet gray ; claws white. — John Cordeaux ; Great Coles, Vlceby, June 23, 

 1866. 



Letters on Ornithology. By Harry Blake-Knox, Esq. 



Letter II. — Being a detailed Account of the Summer Plumages of 

 the Shag ; also an Account of its Habits in Confinement. 



This letter by right should have been on the cormorant, but as 

 there are still some little things respecting this bird that 1 am not 

 quite confident of, and as I shall never write without proof and 

 honesty, I must forbear for a time longer before sending my letter to 

 the publisher ; I therefore take tliis opportunity of adding some 

 plumages to my already long list of the changes of the shag. I find 

 that without these additional plumages my Natural History would be 

 wanting in clearness and decision, but that with them any one can 

 trace and distinguish the bird at all seasons. I allude to the second, 

 third, and adult summer dress. 



Addenda. — The following words were omitted in copying, on 

 account of the italicizing lines running partially through them : — 

 Page 2.54, No. 5, Link 2. * * * * "This family never moults 

 on the back or breast except during the summer moults of the young, 

 and the autumn moult of the adult, but the feathers grow, as it were, 

 without dropping out. In youth the feathers wear out and revive 

 again, but in the adult they never fade tnuch. I have a beautiful 

 specimen of the shag now before me, in second winter, showing 

 transmutation beautiiully and lucidly. The head, neck, quills, tail 

 and some of the large scapulars moult, also the down of the entire 

 body yearly {for some adult shags do not moult anywhere else); but 

 the feathers of the shoulders, back, scapulars, rump, wing-coverts, 

 &c., the breast, sides, belly, &c., never, to my knowledge, fall from the 

 bird, except as above, the various winter plumages taking place by 

 transmutation ; lost feathers are ahvays being renewed by moult. 

 Adults do not necessarily moult anywhere, but the quills, the crest 

 and the down, in the year. These omissions must be pardoned, as I 



