GREAT CORMORANT. 391 



Progress toward Maturity. — The young moult in the 

 middle of autumn, and in the beginning of winter arc as 

 follows : — The bill is blackish-brown on the ridge and dorsal 

 part of the unguis, brownish-grey on the sides, approaching 

 to flesh-colour at the base, with the bare skin yellow. The 

 upper part of the head and the hind-neck are brownish- 

 black ; the back greenish-black ; but the feathers of its fore 

 part, the scapulars, and wing-coverts brownish-grey, edged 

 with gi-eenish-black ; the larger wing-coverts with an external 

 narrow edging of brownish-white ; the quills brownish- 

 black, the secondaries shaded with greyish-brown ; the tail- 

 feathers greyish-black, with lead-coloured shafts. The 

 throat-band brownish-white ; the fore part of the neck 

 greyish-white, mottled with light brown ; the breast and 

 abdomen greyish-white, shaded into greenish-black on the 

 sides ; the lower wing-coverts sooty-brown, as are the 

 feathers under the tail. The feet are black ; the claws 

 broAvn. 



The nostrils, which are at first basal, being placed at the 

 commencement of the longitudinal groove bordering the 

 ridge, and of a linear form, continue open for some weeks, 

 but before the bird is fledged are found to be closed exter- 

 nally by horny scales, and in the bone by ossification. 



