iS I Mackay, Habits of the Double- crested Cormorant. 21 



from one-eighth of an inch to two inches. This portion of the 

 rocks is the only part not washed by the waves, except during a 

 severe storm. On it are three or four small pools of a few feet 

 area, of greenish water, being an accumulation of rain water and 

 drainage. Extending several hundred feet towards the south- 

 west, and forming a part of the main rock, is a low black ridge 

 of jagged rocks, over which the sea usually breaks with fury, 

 lashing into foam the surrounding water. The only place where 

 a landing can be effected, and then only in moderate weather, is 

 on the inshore side of the high rock. The mesa top of the rocks 

 seems to be the favorite spot for the birds to rest, although there 

 are two other places lower down, one of which is separated from 

 the main rock, on which I have frequently seen them standing. 

 As may be supposed, on my arrival I found the odor was suffi- 

 ciently strong to pervade the surroundings; it took, however, but 

 a short time to become accustomed to it, and it caused me little 

 or no inconvenience while I was there. 



After a careful survey of my surroundings I selected as favor- 

 able a place as I could find for concealment, and sat down to 

 await the coming of the birds. As the Cormorants leave these 

 rocks between daylight and sunrise in quest of food and do not 

 begin to return, except a few scattering birds, until about five 

 o'clock p. m., especially if the weather is moderate and the sea 

 calm, I had little hopes of seeing much of anything meanwhile. 

 Nor was I disappointed, for I saw" only six of the Double-crested, 

 and three of the common Cormorants (P. carbo) in all, up to 

 half past five p.m. I shot one (P. carbo), a lone bird, but in 

 falling in the water close to the rocks the surf drove it into a 

 cleft from which it was impossible to regain it, much to my 

 regret. Of the Double-crested (P. dilophtis) about a dozen were 

 shot down, only five of which (all males by dissection) were 

 saved, owing to the necessity of having to keep the large boat 

 away at a distance of nearly half a mile, in order that it might 

 not frighten the birds and prevent them from coming to the rock, 

 there being no place where a small boat could be kept out of 

 sight in safety. Therefore those that were shot down were only 

 secured after considerable lapse of time, and only those birds 

 which had been shot dead were recovered. 



Although these Cormorants had probably been undisturbed for 

 a long time (I have never heard of any one going after them) 



