176 A HANDBOOK OF EUROPEAN BIRDS. 
with bronze and purple, the fggthers of back and wing-coverts 
margined with black; crown-feathers elongated into a crest, 
curving forward ; bill black, yellow at base ; irides green ; legs 
and feet black. Length 26 to 27 inches; gape 3°6; wing 9 to 
10°75; tail (of twelve rectrices), 5°6 ; tarsus 2°3. 
Adult (Winter) : Similar, but lacks the crest. 
Immature Birds: Upper plumage brown, tinged with 
green ; chin and vent feathers whitish, rest of under parts dull 
brown , sometimes marked with white. May be readily dis- 
tinguished from the young of P. carbo by having only twelve 
tail-feathers. 
Distribution: Found throughout most of the coasts in the 
Western Palearctic region. 
Habitat: Inhabiting sea cliffs or marine caves. Usually 
gregarious. 
PYGMY CORMORANT. 
Phalacrocorax pygmeus Fa//. 
Adult (Summer): Top of head and neck reddish-brown, 
darker on forehead ; scapulars and wing-coverts blackish metal- 
lic-grey, bordered with black ; wing and tail-quills black ; dack 
and under parts glossy greenish-d/ack ; neck, under parts and 
upper tail-coverts marked with minute white elongated spots ; 
bill, legs and feet black ; irides brown. Length 21 to 23 inches ; 
eulmen, 1°35 > wie oi. tail ky t0 G75; tarsus 1°32. 
Adult Female: Smaller, less spotted about body, and with 
some grey feathers about the crissum. | 
Adults (Autumn): Resemble those in spring plumage, 
but lack the white spots, retaining few only about the eyes. 
Young: Upper parts blackish-grey with some greenish re- 
flections ; scapulars and great wing-coverts bordered with black 
and tipped with grey; chin and throat whitish; rest of under 
parts dull brown, mixed with white ; abdomen almost entirely 
white ; flanks and under tail-coverts black ; bill yellowish. 
Distribution: Inhabits South-eastern Europe, Southern 
Asia and the north of Africa. 
Habitat: Both fresh and salt water lagoons, or reedy banks 
of rivers. 
