184 BRITISH BIRDS’ EGGS. 
SHAG. 
PHALACROCORAX GRACULUS, Linn. 
Pl. XXXL, fig. 3. 
Geogr. distr.—N. and W. Europe and the Mediterranean; not 
further eastward than the Black Sea; local in Great Britain, and 
commoner in the north than in the south. 
Food.—Fish. 
Nest.—A clumsy structure of twigs, grass, sea-weed, heather, &.; 
nearly flat, or with shallow central cavity. 
Position of nest.—In crevices of rocks or upon inaccessible ledges 
on the coast. 
Number of egqs.—2-4. 
Time of nidification.—VI. 
In its nesting habits the Shag is frequently gregarious, 
as many as thirty nests having been counted upon a single 
small isolated rock. 
Mr. Seebohm remarks that, ‘“ unlike the Cormorant, the 
Shag is almost exclusively a marine species, and seldom 
wanders from the sea to inland fishing grounds. It loves 
best to frequent those parts of the coast that are rocky, 
especially if there be small islands and plenty of caves and 
fissures amongst the cliffs, in which it not only rears its 
young, but takes shelter. Sometimes it may be seen 
sitting on the shelves of the cliffs, or more often basking 
on some sea-girt rock, with wings outspread, as if it were 
drying them after its aquatic gambols. In most of its 
habits it very closely resembles the Cormorant.” 
In explanation of the fact that the Shag often breeds in 
colonies, Mr. Seebohm says ‘‘the Shag is, if possible, a 
cave-breeding bird, and wherever caves are to be found on 
the coast, especially if they are only accessible to a boat, 
any available ledge where a nest can be placed is oceupied 
by a pair of Shags. Caves of this kind are comparatively 
rare, and are consequently much sought after by these 
birds. On rocky coasts where there are no caves the Shag 
is generally found breeding in isolated pairs on ledges, and 
it is only on rocks where suitable ledges are not easily 
found, or where the Shag is especially numerous, that it 
becomes gregarious.” —(Hist. Brit. Birds, vol. iii., p. 657.) 
ea 
