r^p^ BLACK COHMORANT 



GENUS I. (iKAUULUS. TUK C'OKMOllANTS. 

 CiiiN. Cii. Ucsomblu tliusu givou umlci- Kaiiiily liiMdiiiii-. Jiiil, lj.i..kc(l ill tip. Suxos, similar. Tliore are two specie* 

 within imr limits. 



GRACULUS DILOPHUS 



Black Cormorant. 



(irnnilus (liliiiihus Ckw . dun. Binl>; 1H45. 



DI^SClillTldN. 

 8i'. Cii. Furiii, ratJR'r slender. Size, medium. Narrow line ul' lilamentous featlicrs behind eye, elongated. Color. 

 Adult. IJlai-k throughijut, with greenish relleetioiis, Ijceoining asliy-bruwn on center of feathers of body above, glossed 

 witli (larpUsh. Iris, pale green, eyelids, blue, spotted with white, nalied spaeo about head, orange, liill. hhiclt, handed 

 with blue and wliite, feet, l)hiek. Youw ami nrstlin(jfi. Darli brown tliroughout. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Under llie present lieading is described both the formerly called (liluphus c/ F/oTidanus, the former is ."stated to have 

 whitish feathers over the eye, Ijut this is not coustant and I consider it only a northern form of tlie sjjecies which is .so com- 

 mon in tlic South. Known liy the general dark colors. Distributed iiisunmier from the Gulfof iMc-\ico, northward; winter- 

 ing in Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, -je-SS; stretch, 48'00; wing, H-riO;tail, (>-|(l; bill, 

 2-50; tarsus, -J-S'J. Longestspccimen, ai'Olt; greatest extent of wing, Jli'OO; longpst wing, l-J'OO: tail. 7011; bill, 3 (Ml; tarsus, 

 2-55. Shortest specimen, •217.'); smallest extent of wing, 43-00; shortest wing, lUOO; tail, 51.5; Ijill, '2-00; tarsus. 'Jld. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 ]Scs/s. placed on tree.-; or rocky clilis, composed of sticks, sea-weeds, etc. Eyr/s, three or four in number, oval in form, 

 and grecnisli-blue in color, covered witli a calcareous deposit. Dimensions from 1-35 .\ ^-'25 to r50x2-50. 



HABITS. 

 Thf collector in Florida soon learns the position of every buoy or stake that stands in 

 the Wilier for they tire generally ornamented by a Cormorant, but these wary liirtls know 

 how to take care of themselves and it is seldom thtit one can be apjJi'oached near enough to 

 be shot. Even while nesting, they are very shy, ami whenever ti ro(d\ery is apprutiched, 

 all the birds rise, circle about in confusion for ;i short time, then rotretit a, few hundred 

 yards «ind settle down in a compact body on tlie water, nor will they return until Ihey are 

 sure thiit the intruder hits departed. I found the newly deposited eggs of the Black Cor- 

 morant.s on the Florida Keys, about the twentieth of March, and the birds continued to lay 

 from that time until the middle of April. Ltite in May, the bhick, downy young are near- 

 ly fully grown but still remain in the nest its they are comptirativtdy helpless, being una- 

 ble to (ly, iind tire reguhirly ied by llie ptireuts. When tipprotiched ;it tliis .setison, however, 

 ilicy ilis[)l;iy till the wtiriness of tlie nld binls, Cor titter disgorging tlie cmitenls id' their stoni- 

 tichs, ;is is the custom with the young of many fish eating birds when disturheil, ihcy will 

 drop from the ii(;sts or limbs on which they pen-li, into the water, for the litise of llie trees 

 in which their homes tire placed, tire nearly always submerged, after which it is tilmost im- 

 pii;5sil)le to secure one tis Ihey ilive and swim Ixitli heiietith and on Ihi^ siirftice willi the 

 greatest ease. The Gornun-tuits move with ti stetidy, prolonged tlight, during which the 

 mouth is held open as if for air. If shot tit, when flying, tuid not injured or tiltinued liy a 

 sudden slioiit, they will very frequently drop into the water, diving as soon tis they strike 

 it. When wounded, they tire exceedingly fierce, biting with such force Ihtit il is dtmger- 

 oiis to tilli'Uipl lo ctipture one; in fact, I htive seen (hem seize tin (lar tind iml r"riinpiish 

 Iht'ir hold until lil'teil ipiite out of the water. In leaving a perch, it is nuticetililc thtil the 

 Corniortints fly downwtird, almost to the water, then rise again to pursue their course. I 

 found the Black Cormorants breeding on Shagg Rock, named from the local appelltition of 



