BRITAIN S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 163 



repulsive aspect. Soon, however, they become covered 

 with white down, and then present a more engaging 

 appearance. The down gives place to the first real plum- 

 age — grayish below, dark brown, spotted with white, on the 

 upper-parts. At subsequent moults the feathers become 

 lighter stage by stage, till at length the snowy plumage 

 of matui'ity is attained. 



THE CORMORANT 



(Phalacrocorax carbo). 

 Plate 52. 



'Weird' is perhaps the first epithet that would occur 

 to one in summing up one's general impressions of the 

 Cormorant. ' Weird and rather repulsive.' There is 

 something vulture-like about it, with its cruel beak, its 

 featherless skin about the face, and its amazing stenches ! 

 It is a large, powerful bird, but imgainly in flight. A 

 large blot of ill-omened black against the sky, with neck 

 at full length in front, and with great wings flapping 

 quickly, it makes us think of Pterodactyls and the like. 



We have momentarily compared it with a Vultui-e ; 

 but the Cormorant is no mere ghoul, but a predaceous 

 bird in the highest sense. Fish forms its chief food, 

 and this it obtains by direct pursuit, swimming under 

 water with swiftness and dexterity, as may be seen in 

 the glass -sided tanks of many zoological gardens. 

 There also we may see that it does not swallow its 

 victim under water, as the Penguins do, but carries 

 it to land, or at least to the sm-face, and there tosses it 

 in the air, catches it, and swallows it. The beak, we 

 notice, is long and hooked, a form best suited for 

 seizing and gripping the prey. 



