BIRDS OF MLNNESOTA. 29 



through the waters at various depths in pursuit of their favor- 

 ite food, the fish. 



By some cormorantic agreement, they distribute themselves 

 for feeding in such a manner as not to trespass upon each 

 other's domain during the breeding time, some individuals of 

 them going many miles away to feed. The females during this 

 period are allowed the nearer preserves and improve only the 

 earlier and later portions of the day to supply their necessities. 



When the young are sufficiently grown they gather into im- 

 mense flocks in infrequented sections, and remain until the ice- 

 lid of winter has been closed over their supplies of food when 

 to appearance they do not go away, but are gone like the sea- 

 son — and how, when, and where? 



In his communication to me of some observations made in 

 Murray county in 1877. Prof. C. L. Herrick says of this species 

 at lake Shetak: "The upper lake affords nesting places for in- 

 numerable Cormorants which are known as black loons." So 

 from all sources, or at least many, including Lanesboro in Fill- 

 more county from which Dr. Hvoslef says: ''Prom April 3d, 

 (1883), about fifty Cormorants were seen at the pond till the 

 12th of October. About the same date, but two years later, 

 Mr. F. L. Washburn found them at Dead lake in Otter Tail 

 county, fairly common for the species. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Head. neck, lower part of back and under surface greenish- 

 black; feathers of upper part of back, wing coverts, scapulars 

 and tertiaries, grayish-brown, the margins greenish-black; 

 primaries blackish- brown, lighter on inner webs; secondaries 

 dark grayish-brown; tail black; a line of white filamentous 

 feathers running from the bill over the eye, and a few similar 

 ones distributed over the neck; behind each eye is a tuft of 

 rather long, slender feathers, erect and curving forwards ; bare 

 space in the region of the eye and gular sac. orange; upper 

 mandible blackish-brown, with edges yellowish; the lower 

 mandible yellow, marked irregularly with dusky; iris bright 

 green; legs, feet and claws, black, middle toe claw pectinated. 



Length, 33; wing, 13; tail, 6.75. 



Habitat. Eastern coast of North America, breeding from 

 the Bay of Fandy northward; southward in the interior to the 

 Great Lakes and Wisconsin. 



