PHALACROCORAX AFRICANUS. 781 
General colour of adult. black-green; the wing-coverts and 
scapulars very dark grey, narrowly edged with black-green; tail 
black, slightly frosted with grey; chin bare and bright orange; 
irides green. Length, 22”; wing, 94”; tail, 4”. 
Young: throughout of a dull rufous-brown, palest on the neck, 
and darkest and least rufous on the wings and tail. 
Fig. Sparrm. Mus. Carlss. pl. 61. 
764, PHALACROCORAX AFRICANUS ((m.). Long-tailed Cormorant. 
Graculus africanus, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 381. 
Of this elegant little Cormorant, examples have come under our 
notice from the interior. One was sent from Colesberg by Mr. Arnot; 
the other appeared in Mr. Chapman’s collection, and was killed 
on Lake N’gami. Dr. Eyton found it at Kuruman. Mr. Fred. 
Barber also obtained it near Graham’s Town, but its great habitat 
seems to be the Berg River. Here we found it breeding in great 
numbers with the herons and other birds in Mr. Melck’s vley, in 
the month of September. Its nests were built like the others of 
sticks and rushes, and the eggs of the usual Cormorant green, entirely 
covered with white chalk, similarly shaped and pointed at each end. 
Abasy lo 43) diams; 1° 277. 
It is a fresh-water living Cormorant, rarely going to the sea, but 
Mr. L. C. Layard shot one in Table Bay. In Natal, Mr. Ayres says 
that the species “‘ frequents the fresh-water lagoons on the coast. 
Its flight is rapid and strong. When in the water it swims extremely 
low, scarcely any part of its back being then visible. Both in the 
air and on the water it much resembles the Anhinga (Plotus levail- 
lanti) in appearance. _ It is a very superior diver, and feeds entirely 
on fish: if disturbed, instead of diving, it generally seeks safety on 
the wing. It is solitary in its habits, and, like the Auhinga, is 
particularly fond of sunning itself with outstretched wings on some 
clumps of rushes.” Major Butler and Captain Reid saw a pair at a 
small vley, a few miles east of Newcastle, on the 25th of September, 
and Mr. Ayres states that “‘ these Cormorants are tolerably numerous 
about Potchefstroom, but appear to keep to themselves, for they 
fish and move from place to place in a solitary manner, passing 
along the river, generally high overhead, early in the morning to 
their favourite pools, and returning pretty regularly in the evening 
to where they sleep ; they swim very low in the water.” Mr. Barratt 
