130 C. H. Merriam — Birds of Conneeticnt. 



262. Sula fiber Linne. Booby Gannet. 



A rare or accidentnl visitor from the South. Linsley took it at 

 Guilford, Conn. It has been taken as far north as INfassaclnisetts (in 

 September).* 



Family, PHALACROCORACID^E. 



263. G-raculus Carbo (Linnu) Gray. Common Cormorant ; Shag. 



A tolerably common winter visitant. Captain Brooks writes me 

 that they are " plenty in April and May " and are sometimes seen in 

 fall. Linsley took it at Stonington, Conn. 



264. G-raculus dilophus (Swainson) Gray. Double-crested Cormorant. 



It ocenrs along the coast dui'ing fall and spring, but usually not in 

 very large numl)ers, though Captain Brooks informs me that he "saw 

 large flocks of them feeding about Faulkner's Island, Conn., in the 

 month of May, 1870," and that he captured tAvo of them. Linsley 

 had a specimen fi-om Stratford, Conn., and he regaided it as a very 

 rare bird. Mr. W. W. Coe has a specimen in liis cabinet which he 

 killed on tlie Connecticut River, near Middletown, October 29th, 1875. 

 While out duck-hunting at the mouth of the East Haven River, 

 November 1 3th, 1875, with Mr. Tliomas Osl)orne, we saw a Cormorant 

 which I judged to be of this species. In speaking of the Cormorants, 

 in New England, in 1G75, .Tosselyn observes: "Though I cannot 

 commend them to our curious palats, the Indians will eat them when 

 they are fley'd, they take them prettily, they roost in the night uj)ou 

 some Rock that lyes out in the Sea, thither the Indian goes in his 

 Birch- CVmo?/? when the moon shines clear, and when he is come 

 almost to it, he lets his Canow drive on of it self, when he is come 

 under the Rock he shoves his bout ;il(>iig lill lie come just under tlie 

 (Joniioraiifs Avatchman, the rest being asleep), and so soundly do 

 sleep that they Avill snore like so many l*igs; the Iiidi(tn thrusts up 

 his hnnd of a siulden, gras]n'ng tlie watchman so hard i-ound about 

 his neck that he cannot cry out; as soon as he hath him in his 

 Canov' lie wrings off his head, and making his Cajioir fast, he clani- 

 bretli to the top of the Rock, where \\nlkiiig softly he takes them 

 up as he pleasetli, still Avringing ofl' their heads ; when he hath slain 

 as many as his Cauovi c;iii carry, he gives a shout which awaketh 

 the sui'viving (Uyrmorants^ who are gone in an instant. "f 



* Pulnam, in Proceed. Essex Inst., vol. i, p. 221, 1856. 

 f .Tossolyn's Two Voyap^os to New Kn<rlanfl, p. 102. 107.^ 



