PHALACROCORACID^E. LXII. 147 



FAMILY LXII. PHALACROCORACID^E. 



( The Cormorants.) 



Bill about as long as head, nearly terete, strongly 

 hooked, the cutting edges uneven; gular pouch small. 

 Wings short. Tail very large, almost scansorial, of very 

 stiff feathers, often used with the aid of the legs, which 

 are set far back, as a support for the body; a nasal 

 groove but nostrils abortive. Colors in both sexes 

 lustrous, iridescent black; in the breeding season usually 

 with long, white, filamentous plumes; many species 

 crested. Genus one; species twenty -five; of most 

 regions. 



/. GRACULUS, Linnaeus. CORMORANTS. 

 2. G. dilophus, (Sw.) Gray. DOUBLE - CRESTED COR- 

 MORANT. Glossy greenish black ; back and wing coverts 

 coppery gray; adult with two curly black lateral crests; 

 sac convex or straight - edged behind, orange; L. 33; W. 

 13; T. 7; tail of 12 feathers. N. Am.; our commonest 

 species. 



2. G. mexicanus, (Brandt) Bon. MEXICAN CORMOR- 

 ANT. Gular sac orange, white-edged; L. 24. S. W., N. 

 to Ills. 



3. G. carbo, (L.) Gray. NORTHERN CORMORANT. Tail 

 of 14 feathers; sac heart-shaped behind; L. 36. North- 

 ern and coastwise. 



OEDEE E. 



(TTie Long -Winged Swimmers.) 



Feet palmate; tibife feathered; legs near center of 

 equilibrium; hind toe elevated, small, often wanting. 

 Bill usually long, horny, not serrate nor lamellate; nos- 



