I50 



THE MUSEUM. 



This race will probably be found 

 subsequently to be a common summer 

 resident in suitable localities along the 

 entire North Carolina coast. 



Florida Cormorant, {Plialacrocorax 

 piliplius fioridamis). While Florida 

 is the typical home of these Cormo- 

 rants it has long been known that in 

 the summer they occur along the At- 

 lantic coast as far north as North Car- 

 olina. They have not been recorded 

 as breeding in this state, however, as 

 far as I have been able to learn. 



Following the course suggested by 

 numerous rumors, I penetrated the 

 forests and swamps of Craven county 

 for a distance of about eighteen miles 

 south of Newbern and found on the 

 25th of May, a colony of these birds 

 breeding around the shores of Big 

 Lake. The nests were located on the 

 spreading branches of staunted cypress 

 trees standing in the water from fifty 

 to two hundred yards from the shore. 

 Eighteen trees were thus occupied, the 

 number of nests each tree bore vary- 

 ing from one to twelve. In one tree, 

 however, there were thirty-eight oc- 

 cupied nests. 



The colony was scattered along the 

 lake side for a distance of a mile and a 

 half. The eggs or young contained in 

 each nest varied from two to four in 

 number. In color the eggs are a pale 

 bluish white overlaid with a more or 

 less soft calcareous coating, and meas- 

 ure about two and a half inches in 

 length by one and a half in width. 



The exact measurements in inches 

 and hundredths of two sets of eggs 

 selected at random are here given: A 

 set of four eggs measured 2.50x1.56, 

 2.53x1.62, 2.47x1.53 and 2.50x1.56. 

 A set of three showed somewhat smal- 

 ler dimensions, 2.32x1.56, 2.32x1.32 

 and 2.24x1.53, the average for the 

 seven specimens being 2.42x1.55. 

 Chapman makes no distinction in 

 measurements between the eggs of this 

 variety and the species from which it 

 is derived, giving the measurements of 

 the latter as 2.40x1.40. It is quite 

 possible, however, that measurements 



taken from a much larger series of eggs 

 of the Carolina bird might show quite 

 a different result from the above. 



The young birds were covered with 

 black down, many of them being large 

 enough to leave their nests and climb 

 about on the branches of the trees. 

 In doing this they would often lose 

 their balance on the limbs while en- 

 deavoring to escape, but instead of fall- 

 ing into the water the hook at the 

 point of the long bill would invariably 

 catch on the perch and by dint of 

 much scratching the birds would soon 

 regain their former position. So well 

 could they use their bills for climbing 

 that Mr. H. H. Brimley, of Raleigh, 

 N. C. , to whom some of these were 

 sent, remarked afterwards in a letter 

 that they repeatedly climbed with ap- 

 parent ease up the wire netting which 

 composed the sides of their cage. 



The food of the Cormorants at this 

 season of the year must consist largely 

 of eels {Aiiquilla anqiiilla). In nearly 

 every nest signs of eels' remains were 

 seen, the young birds upon becoming 

 eJJcited would disgorge fragments of 

 eels. The old birds which were taken 

 usually had the slime of eels about 

 their heads, necks and bills. 



The trees, which contained each a 

 number of nests, were completely cov- 

 ered, trunk, limbs, twigs and nests, 

 with a white coating caused by the 

 fishy excrement of the birds So white 

 and marked an aspect did the trees 

 present that although they were not 

 usually over twelve or fifteen feet in 

 height their outline could clearly be 

 made out against the dark background 

 of the cypress swamp as we passed in 

 our canoe along the south side of the 

 lake five miles away. 



On Jones' mill-pond near Newport, 

 Carteret county. Cormorants were 

 commonly reported to breed, but a 

 search of the region failed to reveal 

 any colony. This location is neverthe- 

 less evidently a popular roosting resort. 

 A little before sundown on the day I 

 visited it Cormorants began to come 

 in over the swamp and in a short time 



