THE CORHORAXT. 201 



whilst not a few in the breeding season have some distinctive addition to their dress, either in 

 the shape of a fine crest or wattles on the face. The British species, for instance (P. carbo), 

 has, when in full plumage, not only a crest, but exhibits a white patch on the lower iianks, and 

 some white filamentous plumes on the neck. Mr. Seebohm allows us to make the following 

 extract from his interesting journal of a visit to the Fern Islands, off Northumberland. He 

 writes : " The next island which we visited was that in which the Cormorants had established 

 their colony. It consisted of an irregular reef of rocks rising on one side of the island somewhat 

 abruptly out of the sea, to the height of ten or twenty feet, and sloping away into the sea on the 

 other side with a rocky, shingly shore. As we nearecl the island we could see the weird-looking birds 

 standing, some on the rock and some on the edge of their nests, stretching out their long snake-like 

 necks, and evidently becoming alarmed at the approach of our boat. Before we got near enough 

 to land they took wing, and retired to a distant part of the island, one old female, apparently the 

 grandmother of them all, being the last to leave. The whole of the surface of the rocks was covered 

 with the dung of the birds, and the smell was, of course, very strong. We counted upwards of 

 seventy nests, large structures, being heaps of sea-weed from one to two feet high, and generally lined 

 with the fresh thick green leaves of the maritime plants growing on the islands sea-parsley, &c. The 

 natural colour of the Cormorant's egg seems to be a bluish-green, like the usual variety of the common 

 domestic Duck, but over this is a thick white irregular coating of lime, which is frequently in such 

 abundant quantity as to stand in lumps on the surface, seldom allowing much of the original colour 

 to be visible. No doubt this superabundance of lime is produced by the bones of the fish of which this 

 bird is said to eat prodigious quantities, and perhaps also from shell-fish." In many of the islands off 

 the coast of northern Europe, and on the Danubian islands, vast colonies of Cormorants breed together 

 in company with "VVading-birds, Herons. &c., and the same occurs with the American species. Mr. 

 Salvin gives a very similar description of the nesting of the Florida Shag (Phalacrocorax floridanus) in 

 the cays of Honduras to that given by Mr. Seebohm above. Landbeck gives an account of the 

 Cormorants in one of the Danubian islands, when he describes the breeding of the Herons already 

 quoted (p. 184) : "After we had procured such specimens as we wanted of the three species of Herons 

 and had, on passing a swamp, watched the manoeuvres of one or two Purple Herons, we determined to 

 visit the Cormorants, which were breeding near by, in single pairs and also in large colonies, in com- 

 pany with Herons. The same sickening scene which we had observed at the first heronry was about 

 to be repeated here : dung, broken egg-shells, putrid fish and birds, gave off the same noisome stench 

 as in the first place. The Cormorants, young and old, sitting complaisantly on their nests, bestowed 

 wondering glances on the uninvited guests from their beautiful sea-green eyes, while the parent birds 

 greeted us with a deep bass note, not unlike an outburst of laughter, which may in some way be 

 compared to the sound, Goc-goc-gog-gog-gog, and their offspring set up a curious whistling sound, 

 resembling Haidioh, haidioh, which sound we thought rather pleasant than otherwise. As soon, 

 however, as we disturbed this peaceful scene by a shot, the Cormorants darted from their nests like 

 snakes, with the speed of an arrow from a bow, over the trees to the other side, but did not return as 

 soon as the Herons. After we had hidden oui-selves amongst the bushes they came back, flying at a 

 great height round and round, examining to see if the coast was clear ; and at last, as soon as they 

 seemed satisfied that all was safe, they darted on to their nests with the same celerity as they had left 

 them, squatting close, so as to keep themselves out of sight ; their caution, however, proved unavailing, 

 and several fell to our guns. The wounded showed a courage and determination which quite surprised 

 us : the winged birds turned at bay with great ferocity, dealing our dog such a hail of blows with 

 their beaks as to drive him howling away. An old bird which I had mortally wounded gave me a 

 blow through my trousers which instantly drew blood, while my brother was struck by another on the 

 forehead, between the eyes, and narrowly escaped being blinded. The nests of these birds were larger 

 and better built than those of the Herons, offering no small resistance to our shot." 



In the Pelicans (Pelecanus) the principal feature is the long furrowed bill and the enormous pouch 

 to the lower jaw, which is drawn up when the bird is at rest, but is capable of extension to an 

 immoderate extent, and is used by the bird as a bag to hold the fish which he catches in large quanti- 

 ties. The number of known species of Pelican is under a dozen, and they are not found in northern 

 climates at all. On the Nile the Common Pelican (Pelscinus onocrotalus) is very common, and is 



