THE COMMON CORMORANT 363 



in length. The tail of this bird, as its name 

 implies, is long and forked. The upper parts are 

 slaty - black ; the under parts dead black ; the 

 upper tail-coverts white ; the wing-coverts and 

 the margins of the secondaries tinged with ash- 

 colour. It has been noticed on most parts of the 

 British coast, more especially on the East coast 

 and off the coast of Cornwall. It is also frequent 

 in Ireland. 



There are three varieties of the cormorant, all 

 of which are resident, viz. : 



1. The common cormorant. 



2. The shag or green cormorant. 



3. The gannet. 



The common cormorant, which is the largest 

 of the three, measures thirty-six inches in length. 

 It may be said to be more or less abundant on 

 most of the coasts of Britain and Ireland. Although 

 a bird of the sea, it nests inland. Near Towyn, in 

 North Wales, there is a rock of peculiar shape 

 called the Bird Rock, a notable nesting-place of 

 the cormorants; also in Ireland, between Cork 

 and Youghal, there is another well-known place 

 which they frequent at Castle Martyr ; and there 

 are doubtless many other similar localities which 

 they frequent in greater or less numbers during 

 the breeding season. A few years ago, when on 

 a visit near Durham, I constantly noticed one of 

 these birds on the river Wear. It spent its days 

 fishing in the river, but towards evening returned 



