COMMON CORMORANT. 377 



in the harbour of Constantinople, and roost on the roofs of 

 the houses. Sir Robert Shafto Adair told me that a pair 

 of Cormorants took to, fed and brought up a nest of young 

 ravens, the natural parents of which had both been destroyed. 

 The game-keeper was desired to watch the proceedings, and 

 reported that the Cormorants brought a constant supply of 

 fish. 



The adult bird during spring, and the early part of sum- 

 mer, has the bill pale brown, the point horny, hooked, and 

 sharp ; irides green ; forehead, crown, nape, and part of the 

 neck black, mixed with many white hair-like feathers, the 

 black feathers on the occiput elongated, forming a crest ; 

 base of the under mandible, and tlie gular pouch yellow, the 

 pouch margined with white ; the back and wing-coverts dark 

 brown, each feather margined with black ; quill-feathers and 

 tail black ; lower part of the neck all round with the breast 

 and all the under surface of the body a rich velvet-like 

 bluish-black, except a patch on the thigh, which is white; 

 the legs, toes, and their connecting membranes black ; whole 

 length of a male about three feet ; of the wing fourteen 

 inches and a half. Of the female the length is about thirty- 

 three inches, the wing thirteen inches and a half. 



A young bird has the upper mandible dark brown, the 

 lower one pale brown ; irides brown ; forehead, hind neck, 

 back, wings, and tail dark brown ; chin, throat, and neck in 

 front dull white, mixed with pale wood brown ; lower part of 

 neck in front darker brown, mottled with white ; under sur- 

 face of body dull white, varied with a little brown ; sides and 

 flanks dark brown ; legs, toes, and membranes nearly black. 



