PHALACROCORAX, 151 
Fam. PHALACROCORACIDA. 
This well-known family consists of the Cormorants, of which only five species are 
found in Central America. 
Following Mr. Pycraft’s arrangement of the Steganopodes, we extract from his 
synopsis the following osteological characters :—“ Palatines broad and flat, closely 
approximated one to the other in the middle line from the posterior nares backwards ; 
postorbital process emarginate ; furcuia not fused with the carina sterni; a large 
occipital style or nuchal bone articulating with the supra-occipital.” Mr. Ogilvie Grant 
gives the external characters of the family as follows :—“ Bill long, or moderately long, 
subcylindrical, strongly hooked at the extremity; a long narrow groove on each side, 
dividing at the nail or dertrum; cutting-edges of mandibles entire. Nostrils rudi- 
mentary. <A gular pouch, naked anteriorly ; neck long and sinuous. Wings moderately 
long and pointed ; quills stiff and strong, the third generally slightly longer than the first 
and second. ‘Tail rounded or cuneate, composed of 12 or 14 stiff feathers. Tarsus short 
and compressed ; outer toe longest; claws curved, that of the middle toe pectinate ” *. 
Of the thirty-six species of Phalacrocorar admitted by Mr. Ogilvie Grant, five 
occur within our limits. 
PHALACROCORAX. 
Phalacrocoraz, Brisson, Orn. vi. p. 511 (1760) ; Ogilvie Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 330. 
The characters specified above as those of the family apply equally to the single 
genus, Phalacrocorax. 
1. Phalacrocorax pelagicus. 
Phalacrocorax pelagicus (Pall.), Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 188, 380'; A.O.U. Check-l. N. Amer. 
Birds, 2nd ed. p. 44°; Ridgw. Man. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 80°; Ogilvie Grant, Cat. 
Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. pp. 333 *, 337°, 360°. 
Phalacrocorax pelagicus robustus (Ridgw.), A. O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 4A” 
Ridgw. Man. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 80°. 
Phalacrocorax pelagicus resplendens (Aud.), A. O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 44°; 
Ridgw. Man. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 80”. 
Metallice viridis, bronzino nitens; dorso postico, uropygio et supracaudalibus magis chalybeis, plumulis 
longitudinalibus albis ornatis; alis caudaque nigris ; tectricibus alarum viridi nitentibus ; pileo metallice 
viridi, crista una verticali, altera nuchali ornato ; colloque undique et gutture pulchre purpureo-violaceis, 
plumulis albis ornatis ; corpore reliquo subtus nitenti-viridi, hypochondriis imis plagam magnam albam 
exhibentibus: rostro nigricanti-corneo, basin yersus pallidiore ; facie et mento nudis saturate grisescenti- 
brunneis, papillis brunnescenti-aurantiacis vel sordide miniatis ornatis; pedibus nigris; iride florescenti- 
viridi vel thalassina. Long. tot. circa 28-0, alee 9-6, caude 5:5, culm. 1°9, tarsi 1°85. (Descr. maris ad. 
ex San Francisco. Mus. nostr.) 
P#I. hiem. similis adulto in ptilosi nuptiali, sed plumulis colli et uropygii albis et plaga alba hypochondriali 
absente. (Descer. ad. hiem. ex Ins. Farallone. Mus. nostr.) 
Juv. Omnino brunnescens, vix viridi tinctus, collo paullulum violaceo nitente. 
* Cf. ‘Catalogue of Birds, xxvi. p. 332. 
