ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. l6l 



SO did I. It is a positive fact that a Snakebird was killed in 

 Iowa." i\ltlioiigh reported b}' no other observers, Mr. Savage's 

 long experience as a collector and observer of bird migrations 

 makes this record appear an authentic one." 



The .species was reported in Hruner's list as a Nebraska bird on 

 the authority of a specimen shot supposedly near Omaha, but it 

 has since developed that the bird may have been secured either in 

 Iowa or Missouri (Rev. Bds. Neb., 21-22). 



Family PHALACROCORACID.E. Cormorants. 



A single species of this family is found in Iowa. The Cormo- 

 rants are large fi.sh-eating birds, capturing their prey by pursuing 

 it under water. They are gregarious at most sea.sons, but in 

 Iowa, at least, are usually .seen .singly, in twos and threes, or 

 straggling flocks, during migrations. 



Genus Ph.\lacrocorax Bris.son. 



23. (120). Plialacioiota x di/op/ins (Sw. and Rich.). Double- 

 crested Cormorant. 

 The Doul)le-crested Cormorant is a regular and fairly common 

 migrant over the whole of the state, being reported by nearly all 

 the observers. In spring it appears from about the last week of 

 March until the middle of April, and in fall from the latter part 

 of September through October. B. H. Wilson reports fourteen 

 .seen Aug. 18, 1892: six .seen Aug. 6, 1893 (Scott). \V. W. Cooke 

 states: "The Cormorant used to breed abundantly in a few places 

 in northern Iowa, where Mr. Preston of Newton, Iowa, says he 

 has taken a great many .sets of eggs" (Bird. Migr. in Mi.ss. Val., 

 1884-5, 59). Keyes and Williams (1889) also give the species as 

 breeding in the northern part of the state. At the present time 

 I am unable to find any records which show any recent nesting 

 localities in the state. 



Family PELKCANID.E. Pelicans. 



The Pelicans are large acjuatic birds, feeding on fish which are 

 scooped up in the large pouch below the lower mandibles. They 

 are heavy-appearing birds, but swim lightly on the water owing 

 to the large air-sacs beneath the skin. 



