Potts. — New Zealand Birds. 203 



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 wofiiing 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 exuviae 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. It 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 j young females up to the period of their first nest differ but 

 little fi'om 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 



