DIRECTORY TO BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 33 



the water, then rise ; when suddenly alarmed by a loud 

 Khout or gun shot, if flying low over the water, will often 

 drop into it, diving as soon as they strike it; theory, seldom 

 given, is a harsh croak. The young are naked when hatched 

 with the skin bluish or black and shining as if polished. 

 Sexes, similar. 



a. Cormorants. Phalacrocorax. 

 Characters, as in family. 



1. CORMORANT, P. carbo. 38.00; feathers of throat, 

 encroaching upon gula sac in a point which extends nearly 

 to bill; tail feathers, 14; blue-black, grayish-brown on back 

 and wing coverts where each feather is bordered with black ; 

 space adjoining gula sac, filamentous feathers scattered over 

 head, especially above eye, and large patch on flanks, white ; 

 iris, green ; naked space about head, greenish-brown ; gula 

 sac, orange ; feet, black. Young, brown above, lighter or 

 even whitish beneath ; no white patches anywhere as in 

 adults. Atlantic coast of N. A., breeding from the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence northward in May; goes south in Nov. ; north 

 jn April; winters from Greenland to N. J.; not uncommon, 

 especially north of the U. S. 



2. DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, D. dilophus. 

 Tail feathers, 12; differs from 1 in being smaller (32.00); in 

 having no white in any stage of plumage, save the elongated 

 leathers over eye in adult breeding birds, and in not having 

 the feathers of throat encroaching on gular sac in a point, 

 fig. 34; naked space about bill, orange; bill, black banded 

 with blue and white ; feet, black. Young, light brown be- 

 neath but never whitish. Breeds from the Bay of Fundy, 

 the Great Lakes, Minn., and Da. northward in May; goes 

 south through the interior and along the coast in Sep. and 

 Oct ; winters from N. E. southward through the Gulf States ; 

 comes north in April ; common ; occasionally found on fresh 

 water ponds, 



3. FLORIDA CORMORANT, P. floridanus. Similar 

 to 2 but smaller (30.00) and with a larger bill, there are sel- 



