PHALACROCORAX. 739 



and entire under surface, except a white thigh patch, glossy black; rump, 

 upper tail coverts and tail black ; chin and a fillet of white running up to the 

 eye white, bounded behind by a black band ; primaries and their coverts dull 

 black ; scapulars, tertials, greater, median and lesser wing coverts bronze 

 brown, the feathers margined with black ; legs and feet black ; bill brownish ; 

 irides deep or sea-green; facial skin pale greenish; gular pouch yellow, 

 spotted bluish in some. 



Length* 32 to 35 inches; wing 13-2 to 147 ; tail 7 to 7-5 ; bill at front 

 2-3 to 2-5. 



In winter the neck is black ; the white feathers and white thigh patch dis- 

 appear. 



Ha-b. Sind, N.-West Provinces, Western and Central India, also Beloochis- 

 tan and Persia, extending to Eastern Turkestan, Nepaul and Cashmere. 

 Distribution almost universal. 



Breeds wherever found. In Sind in the middle of the Samara Dhund in the 

 Eastern Narra Districts. Nest a platform of sticks, lined with grass and rushes. 

 Eggs 4 to 6 in number, white or greenish white, glossless, and of a chalky 

 texture. 



Whether on sea or on the inland lakes, Cormorants make terrible havoc 

 among the fishes inhabiting the waters they affect. Sometimes, though sel- 

 dom so seen, they swoop down from mid air on the object of their prey, and 

 pursue it under the surface of the water with great dexterity and unerring 

 certainty. They, however, must necessarily rise to the surface to swallow 

 their prey, and this trait no doubt has led to their being trained by fishermen 

 for the purpose of catching fish. In Sind as well as in China and other 

 countries fishermen always have a dozen or more of these birds sitting, when 

 not employed, lazily on the cross beam of the prow of their boats, quite sullen 

 and stern; the whole deportment of the bird gives it the aspect of an unre- 

 lenting tyrant. 



In fishing a leathern collar is put round their necks, to prevent the fish 

 being swallowed, and it is said the fishermen in Sind make a livelihood by the 

 amount of fish caught by Cormorants when their nets fail. They are not, 

 however, hooded, as falcons are, when unemployed. 



1457. Phalacrocorax f uscicollis, Steph., Gen, Zool. xiii. pt. i. 



p. 91 ; Legge, B. Ceylon, p. 1182; Hume and Dav., Sir. F. vi. p. 496; 

 Hume, Str.F. viii. p. 116; Qates, B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 233. Phalacrocorax 

 sinensis, Steph., Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. I, p. 96. Graculus sinensis (Shaw), 

 Jerd., B. Ind. iii. p. 862 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, 2nd. B. p. 660 ; Murray, 



