36 bulletin: museum of compaeative zoology. 



Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus Ridgw. 

 Faralloxe Cormorant. 



Graculus dilophus (not Pelecanus (Carbo) dilophus Swaixson) Baird, Proc. Acad. 



Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 301 (Cape St, Lucas), ? 306 (Cape St. Lucas). 

 Phalacrocorax dilophus cincinnatus (not Carbo cincinatus Brandt) Belding, Proc. 



U. S. Nat. Mus., V. 1883, 545 (Cape Region). 

 P. [halacrocoruxl cincinnatus (not Carbo cincinatus Brandt) Belding, Loc. cit., 548 



(La Paz). 

 Phalacrocorax dilophus albociliatus Ridgwat, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., IL 1884, 94, 



95 (orig. descr. ; coast of California to Cape St. Lucas and W. Mexico). 



Bryant, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 2d ser., II. 1889, 253-257 (Cape St. Lucas 



and elsewhere in Cape Region ; feeding and nesting habits). 



Mr. Belding characterizes this Cormorant (under the name P. cincinnatus) 

 as "very common at La Paz in the winter months; rare in March." Mr. 

 Frazar took a male in adult plumage, but without the nuptial plumes, at Cur- 

 men Island, on March 6. On March 15 he found about a dozen pairs breeding 

 on a round, high rock, of an acre or less in extent, near San Jose Island. The 

 nests, which were built on dead cactuses, contained young birds nearly full 

 grown. Mr. Bryant says: — 



" The numbers of these birds which congregate at Magdalena Bay is almost 

 incredible. Many mornings I have been attracted by the noise of thousands fishing 

 some distance off sliore and have watciied through a glass the dense, dark mass 

 as they passed a given point. Those half a mile or more in the rear came flying 

 forward in platoons and alighted at the head of the broad line, making the water 

 turbulent with commotion while their immbers were being constantly augmented 

 by the arrival of stragglers from the sides and rear. Mingled with the myriads of 

 cormorants were often many California brown pelicans plunging for fish, while 

 above all hovered Heermann's gulls, robbing at every opportunity. To all appear- 

 ances, they were following a great school of fish, astounding numbers of which 

 must be daily consumed by these voracious feeders. . . . 



"Cormorants were seen along the estero to San Jorge, and in April, 1889, on the 

 lagoons in lower Purisima cafion, but no nesting colonies were found except on 

 Santa Margarita Island. On that island they built upon mangrove bushes bor- 

 dering a small lagoon. . . . 



"Many of the cormorant's nests, in fact all of those first constructed, were upon 

 the same mangroves as were used by the frigate pelicans, but only the highest 

 branches were appropriated by the cormorants. . . . 



" When I first visited this colony (January 14, 1888,) a few of the nests contained 

 eggs, and scores of others were in varying stages of construction. The great rush 

 of cormorants to Santa Margarita Island did not occur until April or latter part of 

 March. . . . 



" Some of the nests contained fresh eggs as early as January 14, and I was told 

 they had been taken by the people for food two weeks before." 



