178 



THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



Order STEGANOPODES. 



Family PELECANID^E. 



Cormorant : Phalacrocorax carbo. 



A common visitor to our coasts and estuaries from autumn to 

 spring, but never met with inland in Essex, except occasionally, 



■svhen blown there by severe 

 storms : for instance, Edward 

 Doubleday, in 1835, mentions 

 (15) its having been killed at 

 Harlow. 



They are not uncommon off Leigh 

 "" (Sackett). At Harwich a few are seen 

 e\ery 3'ear (Kerry). Two were seen 

 on Canve}' Island on Sept. 15th, 1882 

 (Bird). Mr. Hope writes that they 

 " come south in August and Septem- 

 ber ; very common on the Main ; a 

 large number can always be seen on 

 coKjioRANT, 1/14. tlie Buxe}' Beacon." 



Shag : Phalacrocorax gra cuius. 



An uncommon winter visitor to the coast. 



Sheppard and Whitear mention one (9. 59) which they saw " at a distance, 

 swimming prodigiously fast " on the River Stour on September 30tli, 1820. 



Gannet : Sula bassajia. Locally, " Solan Goose." 

 A fairly-common bird on the coast from autumn to spring, but 

 it has no breeding-station in Essex. After severe storms in winter, it 



is sometimes found in an ex- 

 hausted state far inland. 



Mr. C. Walford says (19. 58) that 

 about 1830 one was "picked up in the. 

 snow at Terling, from which it appeared 

 that it could not rise." Mr. Clarke 

 mentions (24) tiie occurrence of imma- 

 ture specimens at Ashdon in 1832, and 

 at Saffron Walden in 1844 respectively. 

 Both are (or were) in the Walden 

 Museum, while in the Audley End 

 GANNET, i/iG Collection is a specimen obtained at 



