202 Transacticyas. — 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. carho. 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-adj usting 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 Algce, 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 j 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 IST.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. 

 In a brief space they become mottled and stained to an extent that quite 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 cheek. 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 j the mandibles light horn- 



