27 



bers," and who spent much time in the field watching water 

 birds, writes of them as follows: 



Being principally fish-eaters they spend most of their time in the water, 

 where their movements in pursuit of their prey are simply marvelous in 

 velocity. With their totipalmated feet folded flatly into mere blades 

 while carried forward, and when struck out backwards opening to their 

 utmost, and with the half-spread wings beating with inconceivable 

 rapidity, they seem to fly through the waters at various depths in pursuit 

 of their favorite food, the fish. 1 



It is difficult now to get much evidence from American ob- 

 servers regarding the diving habits of cormorants. On the 

 Atlantic coast these birds have been so much persecuted that 

 they are very shy. Opportunities to watch them under water 

 in their usual haunts are exceedingly rare. On the Pacific coast 

 the chances are better, and occasionally some one notes the 

 subsurface activities of cormorants in the interior. 



Mr. William E. Praeger says that he once saw a cormorant 

 under water and that the wings were not used in swimming. 

 Mr. Lee S. Crandall says that when cormorants were observed 

 in a glass tank, so far as could be seen the wings w r ere not used 

 but were kept closed. Mr. E. F. Pope says that he has had 

 much experience with cormorants, but never saw them make 

 use of their wings when swimming under water. Mr. Louis 

 Agassiz Fuertes says that cormorants customarily use wings as 

 well as feet in swimming, but that they do not fly under water, 

 as they use their wings half opened and loosely held as a sort 

 of sculling aid in changing speed and direction. But he has 

 seen this only in tanks, where the birds' movements were re- 

 stricted. 



Mr. Roy Latham, who has seen many cormorants in fish- 

 traps, says that in a few cases the wings have been slightly 

 lifted but held motionless as with Loons seen in the same 

 circumstances. Mr. A. W. Anthony asserts that he has seen 

 both Brandt's and Farallon Cormorants use their wings to a 

 limited extent, the wings being slightly opened and used in con- 

 nection with the feet. 



Mr. W. Otto Emerson, Hayward, California, asserts that 

 while watching from the cliffs of the Farallones he has seen 



i Hatch, P. L.: Birds of Minnesota, 1892, pp. 28, 29. 



