2(rl AVES NATATORES. [PHALACROCORAX. 



A native of high northern latitudes, very rarely visiting the British 

 coast. Occasionally seen in the Orkneys, and off the island of St. Kilda. 

 Resides entirely in the open sea, never coming on land except for the 

 purpose of breeding. Swims and dives with the greatest rapidity. Lays 

 one egg in the clefts of rocks close to the water's edge. Food, fish and 

 marine vegetables. 



GEN. 106. PHALACROCORAX, Briss. 



278. P. Carbo, Steph. (Common Cormorant.) A 

 white gorget under the throat : tail of fourteen feathers. 



Carbo Cormoranus, Temm. Man. cTOrn. torn. n. p. 894. Corvorant, 

 Mont. Orn. Diet. Cormorant, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. n. p. 379. 

 Leach, Zool. Misc. vol. in. pi. 123. Common Cormorant, Selb. 

 Illust. vol. n. p. 446. pi. 84. 



DIMENS. Entire length three feet : length of the bill (from the fore- 

 head) two inches ten lines, (from the gape) four inches. 



DESCRIPT. (Adult in winter.) Crown of the head, neck, breast, and 

 all the under parts, black, with blue and green reflections; throat dusky, 

 mixed with whitish ; on the neck a few indistinct whitish streaks : upper 

 part of the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, cinereous brown, glossed 

 with purple and bronze, all the feathers broadly edged with deep black : 

 lower back and rump bluish black : quills and tail dusky : bill dark horn- 

 colour : naked skin encircling the eyes greenish yellow : irides green : 

 guttural pouch yellowish : legs black. (Summer plumage.) The feathers 

 on the occiput and nape slender and elongated, forming a crest of a 

 bluish black colour, glossed with green : a broad gorget of pure white 

 on the throat: crown and upper part of the neck variegated with nu- 

 merous long slender white feathers of a silky texture : upon the thighs 

 a large patch of pure white : the rest as in winter. (Young of the year.) 

 " Crown, nape, and back, deep brown, with a slight gloss of green: gorget 

 whitish gray ; front of the neck, and all the under parts, grayish brown, 

 with whitish spots, more particularly on the breast and middle of the 

 belly, intermixed: upper part of the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, 

 ash-gray, the feathers broadly edged with deep brown : bill pale brown : 

 irides brown." TEMM. (Egg.) White, tinged with pale blue ; the outer 

 surface of a rough calcareous texture : long. diam. two inches nine lines ; 

 trans, diam. one inch seven lines. 



Common on most parts of the British coast throughout the year. 

 Occasionally observed inland on the banks of rivers. Swims and dives 

 with great ease. Breeds on the summits of lofty rocks, sometimes in 

 trees. Constructs a nest of sea-weed, and lays three or four eggs. Feeds 

 entirely on fish. Obs. The Crested Cormorant of Bewick is this species 

 in its summer plumage. 



279. P. cristatus, Steph. (Crested Shag.) The 

 whole of the plumage, throat included, deep green : tail 

 short, of twelve feathers. 



Carbo cristatus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. n. p. 900. Shag, and 

 Shag, tyout. Orn. Diet, fy Su.pp. Shag. /to''. Bril. 



