SEA-BIRD COLONIES IN THE ISLE OF MAN. 387 



The Shag, Phalacrocorax graculus, breeds at many points, 

 often in scattered pairs, here and there in considerable numbers. 

 At some of these places I have also seen a few Cormorants, 

 P. carbo, in early summer, but never noticed a nest of the latter ; 

 and common as the Cormorant is with us in winter (in Douglas 

 Bay at least it certainly outnumbers the Shag at that season), 



I have never anywhere met with many at breeding time. Sir Wm. 

 Jardine, who visited the island about sixty years ago, remarks 

 (' Birds of Great Britain and Ireland,' iv. 238) on the Cor- 

 morant's breeding on broad rock-ledges in the Isle of Man. 

 He also describes a Shag colony on the lofty cliffs of the island's 

 southern extremity, which he says was " the most extensive that 

 ever came under his observation," and remarks that there were 



II hundreds of nests." Though still common there, I doubt if the 

 Shag's numbers are anything like so great at the present time. 



Of the Alcidcs, the Razorbill, Alca torda, is the most generally 

 distributed, and I think increasing in numbers, and possibly even 

 establishing new colonies. It does not, so far as I am aware, 

 breed on the east side. The Guillemot, Lomvia troile, is con- 

 fined to the south-west, but pretty abundant there. The Puffin, 

 Fratercula arctica, is more local than either, appearing only at 

 the southern extremity of the main island, and on the Calf, where 

 it is numerous. 



The Black Guillemot, Uria grylle, is present, not in great 

 numbers, at a few points. At one station, which is frequented 

 every year, on May 21st, 1893, I observed a dozen or more of 

 these birds. A boat had been pushed into a creek immediately 

 beneath their haunt, some crevices under the beetling top of a low 

 precipice, and the whole sat crowded together, only a few 

 yards distant from the intruders, with outspread wings, uttering 

 a clear piping cry. Another small party resorts yearly to a 

 similar place about a mile distant. In another locality, not 

 far from this town, I had at various times in previous years 

 noticed a few when passing by steamer, and, as it seemed a very 

 suitable spot for their nesting, I went there twice last summer, 

 but failed to see any trace of them. At a fourth locality I saw a 

 few in 1890, but on subsequent visits have not been able to 

 observe any. Probably they are decreasing in number. The 

 Black Guillemot, as has often been observed, swims very close 

 under the rocks, and often takes refuge there when alarmed. 



