202 Transactions. —Zoology, 
basks on the sunlit crags till its rapid digestion relieves it from temporary 
repletion, and it is once more ready for sea; when on the rocks it may be 
noticed drying its plumage with outstretched wings just in the same manner 
as does P. carbo. This shag swims low in the water, the tail is kept about 
level with the surface, and appears to afford great help to the bird when it 
essays to rise on the wing from the water ; this feat is accomplished by a slow 
ungraceful action, three or four leaps or bounds being necessary with the body 
held partly upright before it is fairly launched in flight. "When perched the 
tail affords help in maintaining the almost perpendicular attitude the bird then 
assumes, and it keeps its equilibrium on the steepest cliffs as firmly as if sup- 
ported by a self-adjusting tripod. The site of a nesting place is often in some 
sheltered nook in the cliffs, where, perhaps, whole rows of their structures 
may be observed in close neighbourhood and frequently the position chosen is 
almost, if not entirely, inaccessible. Both males and females labour in building 
their homes, which are often constructed of Alge, placed on a foundation of 
sticks. We have seen the birds carrying quite a large bunch of material 
at a time, so large and cumbersome the load that they have now and then 
been unable to effect a landing at the first attempt ; a wide circuit has enabled 
them to place their burthen on the spot where the nest was to be raised. 
As in the case of birds in many other and far removed genera, the 
constructive faculty appears most developed in the female ; we have often 
noticed her sitting on the nest carefully and deftly arranging the tufts of 
material brought by her mate, some portion of which is collected from a great 
distance. We once saw, in a strong N.E. breeze, a fine bird beating out of 
Port Cooper, with a large piece of stick carried fore and aft. When the nest 
is completed it may be about 5 in. high and about 14 in. across ; it soon 
becomes foul and loathsome (a mass of writhing maggots), with a most 
horrible stench. Three eggs are laid, measuring in length 2 in. 4 lines, in 
width 1 in. 6 lines, of greenish white, more or less clouded with chalky white. 
Tn a brief space they become mottled and stained to an extent that qnite alters 
their character ; these marks are no doubt occasioned by the incubating bird 
sometimes feeding at home, as bloody smears on the eggs are not otherwise to 
be accounted for unless thus painted by the fresh fish-blood on the bird’s 
mandibles when the eggs are duly turned in the nest. The labour of incuba- 
tion is fairly shared by each sex, as we have noticed that when one bird has left 
its charge its mate has immediately supplied its place ; when alarmed on her 
nest the shag utters a low note, rapidly opening and closing the mandibles, 
which gives a peculiar throbbing appearance to the check. From the middle of 
October the breeding season extends through the earlier summer months. 
The embryo is at first flesh-coloured, and gradually assumes a darker hue 
on its upper surface till it reaches a dull slate colour ; the mandibles light horn- 
