Ports.—New Zealand Birds. 203 
Ei 
colour, darkest at the extremeties, gulal pouch well developed. The young, 
blind when hatched, is of a lead colour, darkish about the eyes and along the 
centre of the back ; mandibles and gulal pouch flesh colour ; tips of mandibles 
pinkish ; tarsi lighter than the rest of the body ; tongue very small ; pectinated 
apparatus of the middle claw undeveloped; the entire body naked, being 
utterly devoid of down or feather. The first indication of plumage is the 
sprouting of the hair-like down of the tail, dark brown down next appears on 
the upper surface, whilst the under parts are covered with whitish down ; 
the condition of the young always appears most thriving, the abdomen is 
distended as though stuffed. In the next change in the appearance of the 
young we note that it has assumed a dull smoky colour, lightest on the 
abdomen, the chin, and tarsi, the latter lightest on the inside ; another change 
occurs before quitting the nest, the whole upper surface becoming of a dull 
slaty brown, almost white beneath ; lore, chin, and pouch purplish flesh ; up 
to this stage the aural orifice is unprotected. When clothed with down the 
middle claw is still wanting in its pectinated apparatus. 
Whilst in the nests the young stretch up their long necks and move 
their heads in a snake-like manner from side to side; their note is hoarse 
and brief like the woffling bark of a puppy; when of a size to fill up 
their home the old birds remain at the edge of the nest. Below the 
nests there may often be observed a substance that looks not unlike some 
species of coral, this is formed of the exuvie of these birds, and by the 
solidifying of the liquid ejections which the shag so constantly produces. 
A well-known sea mark near Banks Peninsula, known as “ White-wash 
Head,” owes its distinctive name to the colour it has assumed from the 
accumulated white droppings of this sea fowl. It leaves its nest with 
reluctance as it is not a shy bird. The position chosen for the nest is 
perhaps rather to secure the advantage of shelter than from the fear of 
depredators. Its gruff brief note is not often heard ; when ashore we have 
noticed that it frequently opens its mandibles widely as though the trachea 
was irritated by the presence of some parasite. 
Ticks sometimes are found firmly fixed on the throat. Tt is worth noting 
that the plumage of the young when they leave the nest is of a dull 
inconspicuous tint, which may be of great advantage, not only in obtaining its 
food, by securing a nearer approach to its prey without observation, but also 
by its tone affording a certain amount of protection, as either afloat or ashore 
its colour harmonises with its surroundings, so that it is far from being a 
striking object; young females up to the period of their first nest differ but 
little from the tints of the young state. In this state of plumage these birds 
most frequently visit the shallower waters of the bays in the harbours ; at sea 
we have never met with shags far from land, hence the name of ocean shag 
