FAM. LIIL CORMORANTS 309 



It is a yellow-headed, gray-backed pelican, with blackish- 

 brown lower parts. In breeding plumage, there is a seal brown 

 stripe along the whole of the back neck. During the rest of 

 the year the whole neck is whitish. These birds fly low over 

 the water, just beyond the breakers, usually in small flocks. 

 They only casually stray into the interior. 



Length, 50; wing, 19 (18-21) ; tail, G^ ; tarsus, 2i ; culinen, 9M2}. 

 Atlantic coasts of tropical and subtropical America, North Carolina ; 

 accidental in Illinois. 



FAMILY LIII. CORMORANTS (PHALACROCORACID^E) 



A family (30 species) of large, generally distributed, mainly 

 salt-water birds, though occasionally found along the shores of 

 fresh-water lakes. They are long-necked, large-tailed, short- 

 legged, hooked-billed birds, which Avhen standing are forced to 

 take nearly an erect position and make use of the tail as a 

 partial support. They pursue their prey of fish by swimming 

 under the water, and in doing this make use of their wings as 

 well as feet, and are thus like the darters and auks. They 

 dive from the surface of the water, instead of from the air like 

 the gannets. 



Key to the Species 



* Wing, 13 or more long ; tail of 14 feathers ; pouch notched behind 



1. Cormorant. 



* Wing, 11-13 long ; tail of 12 feathers 2. Double-crested Cormorant. 



* Wing, 9-11 long ; tail of 12 feathers 3. Mexican Cormorant. 



1. Cormorant (119. Phalacrdcorax cdrho). — A diving, ma- 

 rine, narrow-billed, rounded-tailed, very dark-colored cormorant, 

 with a white patch on the flanks. In the breeding season there 

 is a large, white patch on the head back of the eye. The plum- 

 age of the back and wings is bronzy, with more or less of 

 iridescent colors. The young has much brown on the back, 

 neck, and head, and the throat and breast are grayish-brown, 

 changing to white on the belly. (Shag.) 



