THE LESSER CORMORANT. 



Description Crested shag. 



two gallons of liquor; and this they used as are- 

 servatory for the fish they take, until they can 

 swallow them ; he adds that one of them that was 

 shot upon the Caspean sea, measured two ells 

 and a half between the two extremities of the 

 wings, and seven feet from the head to the end 

 of the toes. In this measurement, we may pos- 

 sibly not unfairly conclude, that some little allow- 

 ances must be made at his being struck with 

 astonishment at the animal himself, and wishing 

 to convey the same astonishment to others. Fer- 

 nandez says, there are cormorants in Mexico, 

 which have teeth within their bills. 



SHAG, OR LESSER CORMORANT. 



THE common shag, which is another of the 

 cormorant genus, is in length two feet six inches 

 and the extent of its wings eight feet. The ge- 

 neral colour of its plumage is black, the belly i s 

 dusky, and the head and neck glossed with green. 

 The crested shag is somewhat less than the pre- 

 ceding, and is less common. There are two kinds 

 which are natives of Kamtschatka; these are 

 distinguished as the violet and the red- faced 

 shags being so ornamented with those colours. 

 Besides there are several others found in New 

 Zealand, and also in Africa, in the latter of which 

 there are two species not larger than a teal. The 

 whole of these like the cormorants build in trees. 



