CORMORANT. GL 



of wiitrrs loiii; il('i>iiit('d. Fur instance, Dean Alunrui-., who visited, 

 neaily tlir whole of tlie British islands between 1540 and 1549, ha^» 

 left a quaint aceount of what lie saw. In describinj^ Eigg Island, he 

 says: "North from Elian about foure myles lyes ane iyle call(;d iyle 

 of egga, four myle lange and twa niyie Imiid, guid niaine land with a 

 Paroch kirk in it and maney Solane geese." One cannot exactly see 

 how the two things should in this cui't way be associated. 



The vSoIan Geese live chiefly on lierring and other fish which are 

 very irregular in their movements, and the birds have, therefore,, 

 often to travel a long distance to obtain food for their young. As 

 soon as the young birds are able to fly, they all leave the rocks, and 

 follow the shoals of fish, where vei- they are to be found, returning 

 again to their familiar rocks in March or A})ril. 



Family PHALACROCOEACTD^. Cormorants. 



Genus PHALACROCORAX Brisson. 



PHALACROCORAX CARBO (Lixx.). 



•'51. Cormorant. (119) 



General plumage, black, glossed witli l)lue, a white patch on tlie throat ami 

 another oii the sides of the body ; in summer the head is crested with long 

 narrow feathers, which fall off when the Ijreeding season is over ; the white 

 patches on the throat and sides also disappeai' about the same time. Length, 

 36 inches. 



Hab. — Coasts of the North Atlantic, .south in winter on the coa.st of the 

 United States, casually to the Carolinas ; breeding from the Baj- of Fundy to 

 Greenland. 



Nest, on precipitous rocks, Iniilt of sticks and sea-weed, kejjt in a filthy con- 

 dition from the refuse of the larder, etc. 



Kggs, four or five, pale bluish-green. 



Although the Cormorants are generally birds of the sea coast,, 

 when not specially engaged at home, they make periodical excursions 

 to the lakes, where no doubt they find the change of food and scenery 

 very agreeable. In spring and fall they are occasionally seen in 

 Hamilton Bay, and at other j^oints in Southern Ontario, following 

 their usual avocation of fishing. Not long since, with the aid of a 

 powerful glass, I watched one sitting on a buoy out off the wharves,, 

 and could not but admire the graceful motions of his long, lithe 

 neck, as he preened his plumage in conscious safety. The inspection 



