72 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



Family PHALACROCORACIDJE. 



THE CORMORANTS. 



The Cormorants are fish-eating birds, and secure their prey by 

 diving duck fashion from the surface of the sea, and then pursuing 

 it under the water. They resemble large-sized ducks also when flying. 

 In structure their slight throat pouch recalls the much larger struc- 

 ture of the Pelicans. They do not nest between the Bay of Funday, 

 the southern breeding limit of the Double-crested Cormorant, and 

 North Carolina, the northern limit of the Florida Cormorant. 



119 Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus). 



Cormorant. 



A dults Length, 34-40. Wing, 12.90-14. Differs from the Double-crested 

 Cormorant, which is the common New Jersey species, in the presence of a white 

 patch at the base of the throat pouch and of slender white hair-like feathers on 

 the head in the nuptial plumage. There are, moreover, fourteen tail feathers 

 instead of twelve. 



A very rare straggler from the Xorth in winter. 



Lawrence reports it as occurring as far south as New Jersey, 1 and 

 Turnbull calls it rather rare. A specimen is recorded by Mr. C. E. 

 Bellows as taken at Bridgeton, N". J., apparently in 1883. 2 



This species is so frequently confused with the Double-crested Cor- 

 morant that I am very skeptical about the accuracy of any of the 

 above statements. The species does, however, occur rarely on Long 

 Island. 



120 Phalacrocorax auritus (Lesson). 

 Double-crested Cormorant. 



Adults. Length, 29-33. Wing, 12-13. General color, glossy black ; feathers 

 of back, scapulars and wing-coverts with grayish centers ; a tuft of black 

 feathers on each side of the head. In winter the tufts are lacking. 



Young in first autumn duller and browner above, brown below, paler on the 

 neck and breast. 



1 Birds of N. A., p. 876. 



2 O. and O., 1883, p. 16. 



