PHALACROCORACID.E — THE CORMORANTS — PHALACROCORAX. 159 



blue ; iris green ; legs and feet deep black. Adult, in winter : Similar to the above, but white 

 filamentous feathers entirely absent. Young, first plumac/e : Head, neck, and rump dark silky- 

 fuliginous, nearly black on the napt; ; back, scapulars, and wing-coverts Ijlackish dusky, the feath- 

 ers bordered with light grayish brown ; upper part of the throat and inedian lower parts pale fawn- 

 color ; jugulum, breast, sides, and flanks raw-umber brown. "Bill yellow, with the edge brown ; 

 gular sac and bare skin about the eyes orange " (Audubon). 



Seven specimens examined, the measurements being as follows : Wing, 10.50-11.75 inches 

 (average, 11.28) ; tail, 5.50-6.50 (5.93) ; culmen, 2.60-2.95 (2.80) ; tarsus, 2.40-2.75 (2.58) ; 

 middle toe, 3.50-3.80 (3.63). 



This species, described by Audubon under the name of Townsend's Cormorant, 

 had previously been given by Gray as Brandt's Cormorant, and is, so far as we are 

 aware, confined to the Pacific coast of Xorth America. We have no descriptions of 

 its habits or movements warranting us in supposing that these differ in any essen- 

 tial respect from the habits of the other birds of this well-characterized genus, the 

 various species of which conform in all cases very closely to a certain uniform mode 

 of living and nesting, and which agree in all other respects except specific in their 

 markings and their geographical distribution. It appears to be restricted to the coast 

 of California, Oregon, and Washington Territory. The examples described by Audu- 

 bon were given him by Mr. Townsend, who obtained them at Cape Disappointment, 

 ill October, 1836. 



Mr. Henshaw states that this Cormorant is found upon the Farallon Islands in the 

 summer, and that it undoubtedly breeds also in the Santa Barbara Group, although he 

 was not quite positive in regard to its presence on Santa Cruz in June. A number of 

 birds of this species were also taken on San Miguel Island by Captain Forney. 



Dr. Cooper's observations enable him to state that this is by far the most abun- 

 dant species on the coast of California, and that it is supposed to extend very far 

 to the north, beyond San Francisco, and also to an unknown distance in the opposite 

 direction. He found it abundant at San Diego during the winter, and in flocks of 

 several hundreds, which sometimes frequented the Bay, and at other times fleAv off to 

 the outside waters to fish, moving in long straggling companies. This bird is also 

 met with in abundance all the year round at San Francisco, and about the mouth 

 of the Columbia River. Dr. Cooper saw a few of this species among the Southern 

 Islands during the summer montlis ; but he did not find any of tlieir nests. They 

 build in large numbers on the Farallon Islands, their nests and eggs being much like 

 those of the other species of this genus ; the principal difference being that the eggs 

 of this species are rather more incrusted Avith a calcareous coating. Dr. Cooper gives 

 as their average measurements 2.45 inches in length, and 1.52 in breadth. This bird 

 has nothing peculiar in its mode of fishing, except that it is rather more gregarious 

 than the others are. It is said to have its full share of the stupidity supposed to 

 be common to this family. Hence it is not infrequently found flying on board steam- 

 boats and other vessels, although at times it appears to be very suspicious. At San 

 Diego large numbers of this Cormorant were found putting on their mature plu- 

 mage ; and this process appeared to be dependent on a change in the color of tlieir 

 feathers, rather than one resulting from the usual process of moulting. 



Eggs of this species in the Smithsonian Institution collection (ISTo. 10055), from 

 the Farallon Islands, collected by JVIr. Hepburn, measure from 2.20 inches to 2.45 in 

 length, and from 1.45 to 1.55 in breadth. 



