ZOOLOGY — BIRDS. 71 



MERGUS SERRATOR, Linn .—Red-breasted Merganser. 



Merffus serrator, Gmel. Syet. Nat vol. I, part II, p. 546. — AuD. B. of A. Oct. vol. VI, p 39.5, pi. 412. — Wiw. Am. 

 Orn. vol. Vni, p. 81, pi. 69, fig 2. 



Abundant tbrougbout California. I procured specimens on the Gila river, east of Fort Yuma. 

 MERGUS CUCULLATUS, Linn .—Hooded Merganser. 



Mergus cucullatus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. I, part II, p. 544. — Ann. B. of A. Oct. vol. VI, p. 402, pi. 413. — Niitt. Orn. 

 vol. II, p. 465.— WiLS. Am. Orn. vol. VIII, p. 79, pi 69, fig. ] . 



' Abundant. 



■PHALACROCORAX PENECILLATUS, Brandt .—Brandt's Cormorant. 



PhalacTOCorax peneciUatus, Brandt, Bull. Sci. Acad. Imp. Petersb. vol. Ill, p. 55. 

 Graculus penecillatus, Lawrence, in Baird's Gen. Eep. IX, 880. 



The specimens in my possession, captured on the Farrallone Islands, appear to be of the 

 same species as that described by Brandt under the above title. Not having the work in which 

 he describes the Fhal. penecillatus, I have resorted, for the purpose of comparison, to a specimen 

 so labelled and purporting to come from North America, in the museum of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia. They tally exactly in their color and markings, though 

 they differ much in size. The tail is greyish black, composed of twelve feathers ; feet black ; 

 bill dusky, but of lighter color towards base of lower mandible ; gular sac blue, and at its base 

 a gorgelet of dirty white. Plumage of back of head, sides of neck, and to the middle of the 

 back, interspersed with white linear feathers, varying from two lines to two inches in length. 

 Plumage of head, neck, and abdomen black, with glossy reflections of blue and green. The 

 back black, with glossy green reflections, each feather being margined with a narrow fringe of 

 dark bluish black. 



Dimensions of the academy's specimen : Length twenty-four inches. From the flexure to 

 the tip of wing ten inches. From point of bill to angle of mouth three and a half inches. 

 Length of outer toe three and three-eighths inches ; of second toe three and one-eighth inches ; 

 of inner toe one and two-eighths inch. 



Dimensions of my specimen : Length twenty-eight inches. From flexure to tip of wing 

 eleven and a half inches. From point of bill to angle of mouth four inches. Length of outer 

 toe three and six-eighths inches ; second toe three and two-eighths inches ; inner toe one and 

 four-eighths inch. 



The bill in my specimen is stouter, the gular sac extends further down the throat, and the 

 bare space around the eyes is larger. Both specimens are in full spring plumage. Late in 

 June these birds were quite numerous at the west end of the island and did not appear to 

 associate with other species, but flocking together on the most elevated rocks, passed the after 

 part of the day in a state of repose, the morning having been employed in pursuit of fish, 

 upon which they prey. This bird was not incubating at that period as were both the P. 

 townsendii and the P. splendens. 



PHALACROCORAX TOWNSENDII, A u d .— Townsend's Cormorant. 



PMacrocorax townsindii, AuD. B. of A. Oct. vol. VI, p. 438, pi. 427.— Ib. Orn. Biog. vol. V, p. 149. 



Although this bird has, by several authors, been considered synonymous with the Phala- 

 crocorax dilophus, (Swainson,) I consider it a distinct species. In many of its markings they 



