The Ottawa Naturalist. 



[Noveml er 



GANNETS AND CORMORANTS, WITH SPECIAL REFER- 

 ENCE TO CANADIAN FORMS. 



By Andrew Halkett, Ottawa. 



The following notes are mostly about the Solan-goose or 

 Common Gannet [Sula bassaria, L. ) and several species of Cor- 

 morants [Phalacrocorax), with brief references to allied species. 



The Toti-palmate order of birds, w.hich embraces the Pelicans 

 {Pelecanus), the Darters {PIo/us), the Frigates {Tachypeles)^ the 

 Tropic Birds {Phaeihon), the Cormorants [Phalacrocorax), and the 

 Gannets {Stila), are distinguished from all other birds, by having, 

 as the name implies, the feet completely webbed. Ducks, gulls 

 and murres have only two webs to each foot ; the toti-palmates 

 have three. This is occasioned by the hallux, or hind toe, being 

 located semi-laterally, which admits of three webs to each foot. 

 Another distinguishing character is the possession of a gular- 

 pouch which in the Pelicans and Frigates is enormously expanded; 

 is rudimentary and unfeathered in the Gannets, Cormorants and 

 Darters ; and rudimentary and feathered in the Tropic Birds. 



The Pelicans ( Pelecanus J like the Cormorants and Gannets 

 are gregarious, resembling in their habits the former in being both 

 marine and inland birds, while the latter are solely marine. 



There are two North American species : the White Pelican 

 fP. eryihror hynchos ) and the Brown Pelican f P. fuscusj, and 

 some consider that there is a third, the California Brown Pelican 

 (P. californiciis). I remember seeing a fine White Pelican in 

 captivity, whilst passing through the prairies. A nicely mounted 

 specimen of the Brown Pelican, an adult male, is to be seen in the 

 museum of the Geological and Natural History Survey, Ottawa, 

 which was shot on the eastern end of Pictou Island, Nova Scotia, 

 by Mr. J. W. Hogg, on 15th May, 1892. 



An examination of a specimen of this species to which I had 

 access, showed in brief as follows : The plumage variegated and 

 dark, a whitish spotted band from the top of the head down each 

 side of the neck, the bill very large and long in proportion to the 

 head, and terminating in a hook, the gular-pouch of enormous size. 



