NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 57 



rant is very abundant. Here it nests on the ledges and projections of 

 high cliffs, making the nests of sea-weed, grasses and aquatic plants, 

 which are cemented together with the excrements of the bird. In all 

 respects its general habits, nesting and eggs, are similar to those of the 

 Pelagic Cormorant. The average size of the eggs is 2.25 by 1.45. 



. Phalacrocorax pelagicus resplendens (Auo.) [6460.] 



Baird's Cormorant. 



Hab. Pacific coast of North America, from Cape St. Lucas north to Washington Territory. 



On the Farallones this species is less common than Phalacrocorax 

 dilophus albociliattis or P. penicillatus. The nests are built more fre- 

 quently on inaccessible places. The same rookeries are used each 

 season, the birds repairing the nests by adding a few pieces of weed or 

 sea kelp. Colonies of eight or ten pairs nest on the shelves of perpen- 

 dicular or overhanging rocks. The birds will occupy the same nest 

 after being robbed, and setting commences after the first egg is laid, in 

 order to protect it from the gulls. Mr. Emerson says that by June the 

 birds have begun to deposit their eggs, which are three or four in num- 

 ber, pale greenish-blue in color, with the usual chalky coating. 



Mr. Bryant states that the eggs of Baird's Cormorant may usually 

 be known by their small size, the average dimensions of thirty-six 

 specimens (nine sets of four) are 55.5x36.5 mm.,* the largest 59x36, 

 and the smallest 52 x 35 mm.t 



124. Phalacrocorax urile (GMEL.) [647.] 



Red-faced Cormorant. 



Hab. Islands of Bering Sea and coast of Kamtschatka. 



The Red-faced Cormorant is a common species on the islands of 

 Bering Sea, especially on St. George and St. Paul Islands of the Pry- 

 bilof Group. Breeds commonly on some of the Aleutian Islands. Dr. 

 Stejneger mentions it as being less common on Bering and Copper Isl- 

 ands than P. pelagicus. He states that the eggs of the two species can 

 not be confounded ; those of the Red-faced being considerably larger 

 than those of the pelagicus, and the green color of the eggs when 

 looked at through the shell is totally different, much more bluish 

 in the former, against yellow in the latter. The nests are built on the 

 projections of the narrow shelves or ledges along the face of a cliff, 

 the material used being seaweed, ferns, grasses, etc., which are matted 

 together largely with the excrements of the bird itself. The young are 

 fed on small fish, crabs and shrimps, and in a short time the nesting 

 places become very filthy, as a large portion of the food brought by 



* 2.19x1.44. 



t 2.32x1 42, 2.05x1.38. 



