780 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
bill, from forehead, 60; height at base, 13°5; wing, 273; tail, 130 
to 138; tarsus, 55; middle toe, with claw, 82. 
Female.—Bill from forehead, 56 millims. ; height, 13; wing, 269 ; 
tail, 137; tarsus, 55. 
763. PiaLacrocorax CAPENSIS, Sparrm. Cape Cormorant. 
Graculus capensis, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 380. 
Extremely common along the whole coast. We have seen it in 
flocks extending upwards of three miles in length and a quarter of 
a mile wide, across the bay, the hindermost constantly flying forward 
and plunging into the sea as soon as the outside of the army was 
reached. In this way the flock gradually moved out of the bay, 
feeding as it went. It breeds on Pomona Island, and all the small 
rocks along the coast, laying two eggs of a blue ground, covered 
with white chalk. Axis, 2” 4’’’; diam. 1’ 6’. It is eaten by the 
Dutch colonists ; and after soaking for a night in vinegar, or being 
buried for a few hours in the ground, it loses its disagreeable odour, 
and is not bad food. 
Mr. Rickard informs us that it is common both at Hast London 
and Port Elizabeth. Mr. Ayres states that thousands of these 
Cormorants appeared on the coast and in the Bay of Natal at the 
latter end of the year 1862, but did not apparently remain more 
than a month. He was told that the coolies went with sacks at 
night and caught numbers on the rocks at the bluffs where they 
roosted. Mr. Andersson says: “ This is the most abundant species 
of Cormorant along the whole south-west coast of Africa; indeed, 
at some seasons of the year they may be counted not merely by 
tens or even by hundreds of thousands, but by millions; their 
numbers, in fact, exceed all computation ; for it is no unusual thing 
to see a deep unbroken line of these birds winging their way for 
two or even three consecutive hours to or from their feeding- 
grounds. This Cormorant leaves Walwich Bay for its breeding- 
places in December ; and during the nesting-season large numbers 
are to be found on almost every suitable rock and islet from the 
River Cunéné to Table Bay, in which situations, next to the Gannet 
and Penguin, this species is the principal depositor of guano. Its 
nest is composed of seaweed; its eggs are either one or two in 
number, white speckled with pearl-grey and pale sea-green, and 
about two inches in length.” 
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nn ee ee 
Aes a — megan 
