102 BIRDS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



in vogue than it i.s at present, many of the members of this 

 family were trained, and quite an elaborate code built up to 

 regulate the pursuit. The peregrine falcon was perhaps 

 the most frei^uently employed, but the merlin, sparrow-hawk, 

 and goshawk, were frequently trained, and the merlin 

 is recommended as the best for " a beginner " by the author of 

 " Hints on the Management of Hawks." 



THE CORMORANTS. 



Passing from the terrestrial birds of prey to thoso that 

 arc more or less aquatic in their habits, we come to the 



Fam ily — P/ialacrocoraciJcc. 



Genus — 1. Sula. S. bnssana. Gannct. 



2. Phalao'ocorax. P. carbo. Cormorant. 



P. graculiis. Shag. 



Gan.vet. — This bird, also known as the solan goose, has 

 the head and neck of a pale bufi' colour, but a bare place 

 round the eye is dull blue, which is also the colour of the 

 lower mandible ; the iris is pale yellow, the flight feathers 

 greyi.sh black, and all the remaining parts white, except the 

 legs and the webbed feet, which are dark green. The female 

 resembles the male, but the young are ditierent from their 

 parents, having the eyes of a dusky slate blue, and the 

 head and neck of the same shade, darker or lighter accord- 

 ing to age, each feather tipped with a white spot of 

 triangular shape ; the under parts are grey, mottled with 

 white, and the back black or slate, according to each, with 

 white mottlings. Tiie full wliite plumage is- not acquired 

 until the bird has attained its fourth year. Length, nearly 

 8 feet. 



