312 Shufeldt, Cormorant Rookeries of the Lofoten Islands. I Oct 



their handsome tails. The reedy shores of the river were the 

 haunts, no doubt, of Ducks, two of which flew past us, and a Heron, 

 gaunt and gray, gazed at the boat with uplifted leg. 



As we approached Rotterdam, Terns and Gulls grew more 

 numerous and Cormorants became a characteristic feature of the 

 river. Whether sitting on the water, in Loon-like posture, or 

 flying with outstretched necks athwart the sky, or perched in un- 

 gainly attitudes on the poles which rose from the narrow dikes, 

 they were always conspicuous, and always ugly. The Gulls were 

 the small black-headed species found before near Mainz, but near 

 Rotterdam several Herring Gulls appeared. The red-tiled vil- 

 lages, too, became more frequent. The incessant hammering of 

 shipyards assailed the ears. Boats with high and decorated prows 

 driven by dark, patched sails passed the steamer. Soon the masts 

 of countless shipping appeared before us and the steamer made 

 fast to her wharf in Rotterdam, leaving the Rhine and its summer 

 birds far behind. 



THE CORMORANT ROOKERIES OF THE LOFOTEN 



ISLANDS. 



BY R. W. SHUFELDT, M. D. 



Our distinguished Corresponding Member, Professor Robert 

 Collett of the Zoological Museum of Christiania, Norway, has for 

 the past year or more been attempting the photography of the 

 breeding sites of various species of Norwegian birds. Some of 

 his recent results are very beautiful indeed, and last July (1895) 

 when he was visiting the Lofoten Islands off the coast of Norway, 

 he succeeded in obtaining some particularly good pictures of the 

 breeding places of the Cormorant (JPhalacrocorax carbo). One of 

 these he has very recently sent me, to use as I see fit, and, as 

 this species breeds upon our own North Atlantic coasts, I must 

 believe that the reproduction of Professor Collett's excellent pho- 

 tograph, illustrating the present paper, will be of interest to our 



