No. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. 27 



Sula bassana (Linnaeus). Gannet. 



A very rare winter visitant. The following references are 

 found in Merriam: 1 Capt. Brooks of Faulkner's Island has seen 

 two of this species, one of which " was killed at Guilford in the 

 spring about ten years ago" (i.e., about 1866), and is now in his 

 collection. Linsley took it at Stratford (now in Peabody 

 Museum). Both these birds are in juvenile plumage. Mr. 

 Robert Morris saw an adult specimen shot off Branford late in 

 the fall of 1872 or 1873. 



Family PHALACROCORACIDJE. Cormorants. 



Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus). Cormorant. 



A very rare fall migrant on the Sound. Formerly a " tolerably 

 common winter visitant." 2 



Capt. Brooks wrote Merriam that they were plentiful in April 

 and May, and were sometimes seen in the fall. Linsley took this 

 species at Stonington. 



The only recent record is that of a young bird shot at Branford, 

 Nov. 22, 1904. It is now in the collection of L. C. S. 



Phalacrocorax auritus auritus (Lesson). Double-crested 

 Cormorant. 



A rare spring and fall migrant on the Sound, though appar- 

 ently more common than P. carbo; very rare inland. 



Spring records. Linsley records a specimen from Stratford 

 which is in nuptial plumage (in coll. of Bridgeport Hist. Soc.) ; 

 May, 1876, Capt. Brooks saw " large flocks of them feeding about 

 Faulkner's Island " ; 2 April 30, 1888, one taken at Branford by 

 W. H. Gardner (now in Peabody Museum) ; June 8, 1892, three 

 seen at the mouth of Connecticut River by J. H. S. ; April 29, 

 1896, one from a flock of six taken at New Haven (seen in the 

 flesh by L. B. B.) ; May 7, 1891, Guilford (H. W. F., now in coll. 

 of Wm. Brewster) . 



Fall records. Oct. 29, 1875, one killed in Connecticut River 

 at Portland (in coll. of W. W. C.) ; Oct., 1879, one shot at Bolton 

 (in coll. of W. W.) ; Nov. 10, 1883, a small flock seen off Guilford 



1 Merriam, Birds of Conn., p. 129. 

 a Merriam, Birds of Conn., p. 130. 



