26 Birds of Colorado 



into the water for food, probably small fry, but in the 

 fall they seem to feed chiefly on winged insects," and 

 specially on dragon- flies. 



They breed, as already remarked, in large companies ; 

 their nests consist merely of a heap of decaying rushes 

 and other vegetable matter, piled up in the shallow water 

 of a lake or marsh. The eggs, 2 to 4, are pale brownish 

 or greenish-olive, thickly blotched and spotted with 

 very dark chocolate ; they are rather pointed at one 

 end and measure TSO x TO. Hall's eggs were fresh 

 and taken somewhat early — on May 26th — the more 

 more usual nesting-time is June. 



ORDER STEGANOPODES. 



This order contains a number of swimming and diving 

 birds, such as the Cormorants, Darters, Gannets and 

 PeUcans ; they can be recognized at a glance by a very 

 obvious external character ; the feet are totipalmate, 

 that is, all the toes, including the first or hallux, which 

 is turned forwards more or less parallel to the other 

 toes, are fully webbed. 



I^Y OF THE Families and Genera. 



a. Bill shorter than the middle toe, compressed ; gular sac smaU, 



hardly distensible (Phalacrocoracidcc). 



Phalacrocorax, p. 26. 



b. Bill much longer than the middle toe, flattened and depressed ; 



gular sac large and greatly distensible (PelecanidcB). 



Pelecanus, p. 28. 



Family PHALACROCORACIDiE. 

 Characters of the Genus. 



Genus PHALACROCORAX. 



Bill subcyhndrical and slightly compressed, the upper mandible 

 strongly hooked at the tip ; nostril rudimentary ; wings short and 

 rounded ; tail of twelve or fovirteen feathers rather short and stiff ; 

 tarsus short and compressed ; all the toes well webbed. 



