OF ^TOEXHtTJIBEELAXD A:M) DUEHAJI. 131 



132. PHALACROCORAX, Brisson. 



2. CoE^iOEAJSTT. P. CAUBO, (Limiaus.) 



Carlo cormoranns, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, II., 

 360, 363, 368. 



Phalacrocorax carlo, Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 480. 



A common resident species. It breeds at the Earne Islands. 



One day on feeding two Cormorants, that I kept ia confine- 

 ment, they both siezed hokl of the same fish, one by the head, 

 the other by the tail, and went on swallowing it until the fish 

 entirely disappeared, the bills of the two birds meeting each 

 other. AYhat was to to be done ? The difficulty was soon 

 solyed. One of the birds gaping very wide swallowed the other's ■ 

 head, but the latter feeling the situation anything but agreeable 

 withdi'ew its head, leaving its share of the fish in the gullet of 

 its competitor. 



Two trained Cormorants, belonging to F. H. Salvin, Esq., of 

 Whitmoor House, near Guildford, one nine years old, the other 

 three, have never attained the summer plumage. I saw these 

 bu'ds last July, 1872 ; they were then in perfect winter dress. 



The Kev. Gr. C. Abbs informs me that the Cormorant bred on 

 lEarsden Rock in the year 1813, and for several years afterwards. 



3. Shag. P. cejstatus, {Falricius.) 



Carlo cristaUis, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Biixls, Ed. 1847, II., 369. 



Phalacrocorax graculus, Yai-rell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 

 486. 



The Shag is a resident. It breeds rarely at the Earne Islands, 

 where its eggs were taken in June, about the year 1820, by the 

 late Mr. John Laws and the late Mr. E. R. Wingate. George 

 C. Atkinson, Esq., has also taken the eggs of this species at the 

 Earne Islands, and presented them some years ago, along with his 

 valuable collection of eggs, to the l^ewcastle Museum. Mr. 

 James Sutton informs me, October 1, 1873, that the Shag nested 

 this year on the Earne Islands. 



