APPENDIX. 351 



river, but keeping almost constantly around the cape, under shel- 

 ter of the enormous breakers which are incessantly dashing 

 against it, successfully defies all attempts to shoot it. The pro- 

 curing of the only specimen which I was ever enabled to kill, 

 almost cost the lives of myself and eight men. Our boat was 

 carried with frightful velocity into the furious breakers, and a full 

 hour was consumed in unremitting efforts to escape the danger 

 towards which the swift current was hurrying us. 



The Indians of the N. W. coast make cloaks of the skins of 

 this bird sewed together. It is probably even more numerous to 

 the north of Cape Disappointment, and must necessarily frequent 

 less inaccessible places. 



TowjVsend's Cormokant. 



Phalacrocorax *Townsendi, (Audubon.) Birds of America, 

 Vol. IV., pi. 412. Male. 



Bill light-yellow, black above ; crown, and upper part of the 

 neck to the interscapulars, yellowish-fuscous ; lateral part of the 

 hind-head and neck, pointed with white like the preceding spe- 

 cies ; middle of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts, dark 

 greenish, reflecting purple ; tail long, dusky ; lateral portion of 

 the upper surface of the body, including the scapulars and wings, 

 yellowish-fuscous, each feather edged with blackish ; bare space 

 on the gullet, which includes the eye, and extends upon the 

 lores, light red, streaked with a deeper tint ; sides of the head, 

 and throat whitish-cinereous ; breast and belly yellowish-rufous, 

 slightly varied with dusky ; vent and lower tail-coverts dark 

 brownish-fuscous ; a few longitudinal points of white on the 

 tibial feathers ; legs and feet black. Irides dai-k hazel. Length 

 about 28 inches. 



This species inhabits the Columbia river, and is not uncom- 

 mon. It is seldom seen near the sea, but is mostly observed 

 high up upon the river. It is, like most species of its genus, par- 

 tially gregarious, and is fond of resting in company. The old 

 trees which are fastened in the bottom of the river, and protrude 

 above the surface, and the isolated rocks in the stream, are its 

 favorite places of resort. Here it sits, sometimes for hours to- 

 gether, indolently gazing into the water, and only leaving its 

 perch to seize an unsuspecting fish, which may happen to pass 



