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Colonies of the king shag Leucocarbo carunculatus carunculatus (Gmelin, 1789) were visited three times in 1964-65, Numbers are now about the same as when they were discovered in 1773 – two or three hundred birds – although more colonies are known. Since 1773, large fluctuations have probably occurred; heavy collecting by nineteenth century ornithologists, shooting for ladies’ muffs around 1900 and, more lately, misguided shooting to protect fisheries have all taken a toll. Details of nests and eggs are given. The species usually breeds once each year, in winter; but sometimes two cycles of breeding have been observed. The times of breeding vary from colony to colony and from year to year. King shags are easily disturbed at the breeding colony, possibly because of long persecution. Any further study of the birds themselves should be limited to regular, remote censusing only. Ecological work and banding on less vulnerable subspecies such as L. c. chalconotus should be done in the hope that the results will prove valid or helpful for conserving their rarer relatives.