340 PHALACKOCORACID^:. 



Subfamily PHALACROCORACIN^E. 



4 



Genus PHALACROCORAX, Brisson, 1760. 



Bill of moderate length, rather slender, compressed ; culmen 

 rounded, sharply hooked at the end, a long narrow groove on each 

 side, bifurcating afe the dertrum or nail, and the lower branch run- 

 ning to the commissure. A gular pouch, naked auterioriy. Wings 

 of moderate length ; 2nd quill usually longest. Tail rounded or 

 cuneate, of 12 or 14 stiff feathers. Tarsus short and compressed ; 

 toes flattened; claws much curved. 



This genus contains about M7 species, which are of almost world- 

 wide distribution. Three are Indian. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Tail of 14 feathers ; wing about 13 in. long . . P. carbo, p. 340. 

 I). Tail of 12 feathers. 



G', Wing about 10-5 in. P.fuscicollis, p. 341. 



V. Wing about 8 in P.javanicus, p. 342. 



All Cormorants live on fish, which they capture by diving, and 

 all are extremely voracious. They swim much immersed in the 

 water. When resting after fishing, they sit on rocks, on stumps 

 or branches, and often remain motionless with their wings partially 

 expanded. They have a powerful sustained flight ; but rise from 

 the water heavily and with difficulty, flapping for some distance 

 along the surface. They make their nests of twigs, lined with 

 grass or seaweed, and placed on trees or rocks, and the eggs are 

 elongate-oval with a chalky-white superficial layer, beneath which 

 the shell is bluish green. 



1526. Phalacrocorax carbo. The Large Cormorant. 



Pelecanus carbo, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 216 (1766). 



Phalacrocorax carbo, Pallas, Zooar. Rosso- Asiat. ii, p 297 ; Hume fy 

 Dav. S. F. vi, p. 496; gall, S. F. vii, p. 234 ; Doty, ibid. p. 409; 

 Hume, Cat. no. 1005 ; Scully, S. F. viii, p. 364 ; Le</(/e, Birds 

 Ceyl. pp. 1182, 1223; Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 594; Reid, S. F. x, 

 p. 87 ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 231 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 438 ; 

 Hume 8f Cripps, S. F. xi, p. 352 ; Oates in Humes N. $ E. 2nd 

 ed. iii, p. 270 ; Barnes, Jour. Bom. N. H. Soc. vi, p. 304 ; Bulkley, 

 op. cit. vii, p. 544. 



Graculus albiventer, Tickell, J. A. S. B. xi, p. 463 (1842). 



Graculus carbo, Blyth, Cat. p. 298 ; Jcrdon, B. I. iii, p. 861 ; Hume, 

 S. F. i, p. 289 ; Adam, ibid. p. 403 ; Oates, S. F. iii, p. 349 ; v, 

 p. 169 ; Butler, S. F. iv, p. 33 ; Doiy, S. F. viii, p. 377. 



Ghogur, Pan-koioa, Jal-koioa, H. ; Tin-gyi, Burm. These names are 

 used for all species of Cormorants. Wadda Silli, Sind ; Bonta-kaki, Tel. 



Coloration, Adults are black, glossed with dull purplish or 

 green : a white band from eye to eye across the throat, forming a 

 broad border to the naked gular pouch ; a small longitudinal 



