PHALACROCORAX. 79 



chest, and breast much paler, sometimes nearly white, or much 

 mixed with this color. Length 23.00-28.75, wing 9.95-10.40, 

 culmen 1.70-2.00. Eggs 2.21 X 1-42. Hab. Mexico, Cuba, 

 Gulf States, and lower Mississippi Valley north to southern 

 Illinois (vicinity of Cairo) and eastern Kansas. 



121. P. mexicanus (BRANDT). Mexican Cormorant. 



Bill slender, with upper outline nearly or quite straight, the nail small, not 

 arched, and occupying not more than one-fourth the total length of the 

 upper mandible, measured to the base of the culmen (except in P. perspicil- 

 latus, in which, however, other characters than the last mentioned are as 

 above). 



b 1 . Tail very short (less than half as long as the wing), slightly rounded, com- 

 posed of 14 feathers; bill decidedly higher than broad at base; no 

 crests or tufts on head or white patch on flanks in nuptial plumage. 

 (Subgenus Compsohalieus EIDGW.) 



Adult-: Head and neck glossy blue-black, with a patch of light brown 

 or brownish white adjoining base of gular sac ; lower parts soft 

 dark bottle-green ; scapulars and wing-coverts dark dull greenish, 

 bordered narrrowly with black. Nuptial plumage: Uppermost 

 scapulars and sides of neck ornamented with long, white or pale 

 straw-colored bristly filaments ; gular sac blue. Young : Head, neck, 

 and rump silky dark brown, nearly black on hind-neck ; upper part 

 of throat and median lower parts paler brown ; chest, breast, sides, 

 and flanks, brown. Length about 35.00, wing 10.50-11.75, tail 5.50- 

 6.50, culmen 2.60-2.95. Eggs 2 54 X 1-53. Hab. Pacific coast, from 

 Cape St. Lucas to the Columbia Eiver. 



122. P. penicillatus (BRANDT). Brandt's Cormorant. 



b*. Tail much longer than wing, graduated, composed of 12 feathers (except in 

 perspiqillatus) ; bill broader than high at base ; nuptial plumage orna- 

 mented with double crests, or tufts (one on crown, the other on nape), 

 of broad soft feathers, and flanks with a large white patch. (Subgenus 

 Urile Bo NAP.) 

 c 1 . Culmen less than 2.50 ; tail-feathers 12. 



d 1 . Feathering on side of lower jaw forming a deep projecting angle, 

 the point of which advances forward to beyond the anterior 

 angle of the eye. 



Adult: Feathers of forehead advancing to base of culmen; 

 gular sac and naked lores dull coral-red, or reddish brown ; 

 head and neck rich, glossy, silky violet-black, more purplish 

 toward head, the lower part of the neck inclining to steel- 

 blue, changing gradually to silkj 7 - dark green on lower 

 parts; rump also silky dark green; scapulars and wing- 

 coverts bottle-green, tinged more or less with bronzy 

 purplish. Nuptial plumage : Neck and rump ornamented 

 with narrow, pure white filamentous feathers, and flanks 



