346 ELEMENTARY ZOOLOGY 



strictly maritime. The albatrosses are very large, the 

 largest being three feet long with a spread of wing of 

 seven feet. They are often found flying easily over the 

 open ocean at great distances from land. Like the auks 

 and puffins, the fulmars and shearwaters gather in extra- 

 ordinary numbers on rocky ocean islets or cliffs of the 

 coast to breed. 



The cormorants, pelicans, etc. (Steganopodes). The 

 Steganopodes are water-birds with full-webbed feet,- and 

 prominent gular pouch, swimmers rather than flyers like 

 the Longipennes. The cormorants (Phalacrocorax) in- 

 habit rocky coasts and are green-eyed, large, heavy, 

 black birds with greenish-purple and violet iridescence ; 

 they are among the most familiar of seashore birds. They 

 feed chiefly on fish and dive and swim under water with 

 great ability. Cormorants are rather gregarious, keeping 

 together in small groups when fishing, migrating often in 

 great flocks, and in the breeding season gathering in 

 immense numbers on certain rocky cliffs or islets. They 

 build their nests of sticks and sea-weed ; the eggs are 

 three or four, and usually bluish green with white, chalky 

 covering substance. 



The pelicans are large, long-winged, short-legged 

 water-birds with enormous bill and large gular sac which 

 is used as a dip-net to catch fish. There are three species 

 in North America, the white pelican (Pelccaniis crytJiro- 

 rJiyncJnts] occurring over most of the United States, the 

 brown pelican (P. fiiscus] of the Gulf of Mexico, and 

 the California brown pelican (P. calif or nicus} of the Pacific 

 coast. 



An interesting member of this order is the famous 

 frigate or man-of-war bird (Frcgata aquila), with very long 

 wings* and tail and feet extraordinarily small. The 

 frigates have the greatest command of wing of all the 

 birds. They cannot dive and can scarcely swim or walk. 



