154 



TOTIPALMATE SWIMMKKS STKGANOrODES. 



top, and two ami a half foot at tlu' bast*. Tlio t'j;{j;s — threo or four in nuiulu'r — aver- 

 aged l.*.r)0 by l.r>() iiu'lu's, wen' of an elougatoil form, and were eovereil with a wliitc 

 calcareous coating, showing when removed a tine light gret'nish b'ue tint miderneatli. 

 The young when just hatcheil are of a bluish black color tinged with jmrple, and arc 

 blind for several days. In this condition they are fed by the parents, with the grc;it- 

 ost care, with prepared food, regurgitated into their oi)eii throats. Afterward tlicv 

 become covered with long down of a brownish black. Their eggs are not decnu'd tit 

 to eat, and are never gathered by the fishermen. 



Dr. Hryant found this ('ornu)rant breeding in company with /'. carfio on the rocks at 

 Wapitaguan ; but not by any means jjresi'nt in such large lunubers as was the last-named 

 species, with the nests of which the northern part of the brei'ding-i»lace was exi-lnsi vcly 

 occn])ied. Though early in the season, theri> was hardly a triu-e of the crest remain- 

 ing t)n any of the birds. Their nests were as bulky as those of the common species. 

 and it was probably not uncommon for the old nest of the one species to be occupied 

 by the other during a later season. As a general thing this Coruujrant i)rcl'erriMl the 

 lowest ledges, although the highest nest of all was of this species. \Vhere the ledge 

 was long enough to admit of several nests, it was generally occupied by one and the 

 same species. In one or two places near the siuumit, where the rock was broken in 

 such a way as to i)resent a series of little niches, the twt) species seemed to altt'rnate 

 in position, as if intentionally, they being evidently on terms of perfect friendshi|i, 

 whih' no dilferences could lu' detected in their habits or nu)vem»'nts. The eggs — 

 four in nund)er — were of a more n'gular oval than those of I', rarfio, but otherwise 

 similar to them in ap])earance, the -. itft'reuce in size of the eggs of tlu* two species 

 being by no means proportioned to the ilifferenc»> in size of the birds themselves. .\i 

 the time of Audubon's visit, none of the present species were seen at Wapitaguan, 

 and he says that he found them breeding only on Hat rocks. Four eggs selected l>v 

 ])r. Hryant as typical of their variations in length and breadth give the followinj; 

 measurements: L'.LMi by l.;5() inches ; LM3 by l.ol ; '_'.()'.) by 1.42; LM'O by iAn. 



Captain Hendire in his visits to Lake Malheur, in Kasteru Oregon, met with a large 

 breeding-jUace of this Cormorant. Most of the nests were on the ground; about one 

 third were on bushes not over thre(^ feet high; and the renuiinder on rubbish piles 

 not more than six inches above the ground. The yoiuig birds when aboiit two weeks 

 old were stdl devoid of down or feathers, their skin being of a det']) glossy black, and 

 altogether presenting a very curicms appearance. The eggs — usually five in nund)er 

 — are described as being of an elongated oval, i)ale green with chalky coatings, tlnir 

 average size being 2.4li by 1.48 inches. The nests were comiioscd of coarse sticks, 

 about fifteen inches in dianu'ter. shallow, and lined with a few strips of bark and 

 pieces of /«//■, and were usually raised a few inches above the ground, ami placeil closi' 

 to the water. The birds began to lay about the UOth of .\pril. 



Eggs of this species (Smithsonian In.stitution, No. IL'TIS) are of the usual glaucous- 

 white color of eggs of this family, and uu'asurt! from li.'M to 'JInt inches in length, 

 and from 1.40 to 1.45 in breadth. These were obtained by Mr. Donald Gunn al 

 Shoal Ijake. This C'ormorant was also found breeding in the Selkirk Setthunent liv 

 Mr. Gunn, and at Sitka by Mr. Hischoff. 



liirds of this s])ecies which are residcuit in Florida were, considered by Audubon to 

 be specifically distinct from dllophiis ; but beyond a slight <lifference of size, tliev 

 Iwar so close a resemblance to the more northern birds as to n'uder it somcwiiat 

 doubtful whether they can be separated even as a race. There are probably no very 

 noticeable differences in the habits and movements of the two forms, other than wIkiI 

 may Ik> occasioned by the differences of conditions resulting from living in a partiallv 



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