j .■ •..'",'! 



lMIALACIU)COnAOID.K — THE COUMOUANTS — rilALACROCOUAX. 



155 



tropical and a snharctic region. In tho Ihiitfd States this bird is chiotly continod 

 1(1 the pt'iiinsula t)l' Florida; a few ari> found on the Atlantic coast as far castas 

 Smith Carolina, and along the toast of the Mexican CJulf as far west us tl;e mouths 

 of the Mississippi. On the southwi'st it seems to bo replaced by Phttlacmcoriix 

 iiiixlfdiius. It also occurs in Cid)a, where it breeds, aiul probably in some others of the 

 \\ Cst India islands. It is also found on the Atlantic seamoast of Central America. 

 Mr. Salvin gives an account of liaviug visited one of its breeding-}tlaces on the coast 

 ot Honduras. The nests were built tm tlie outer boughs of the mangrove-lmshes, 

 some twelve feet above tho water. These were very strongly coustnu-ted of sticks, 

 lidllowcd considerably on the inside, and ])artly lined with freshly i)icked mangrove- 

 leaves. The birds, at the time of his visit, were just depositing their eggs, and sonic 

 nests had in them what appeared to be their fidl eomplcnu'iit of fcmr, while otiier.s 

 liad two or three, or only one. Mr. II. K. Dresser obtained e.\am|ilcs of this species 

 at Man-of-War l>ay, on the Uclize coast. 



According to Audubon's observations in Florida, it is chicHy foinid about the shore, 

 in hays, iidcts, and large rivers, and was not seen far out to sea. It is at all seasons 

 gregarious. So far as he iu)tieed, it only nested on trees or buslics, and never on 

 tlic ground. Hi' visited its breeding-idaces, A])ril M, on several snuill Keys. 0\\ tho 

 i)raiieiu'S of the mangroves a large colony, nund)ering several thousand pairs, had 

 already built their nests, and were sitting on their eggs; and souu'tinu's as iiu\\\y as 

 tell nests were on a single tree. 



The nest of this siiecies is of a rather small size, it being only about nine inches 

 ill diameter, and it is fornu'd of sticks crossing each other. The eggs varied greatly 

 ill iliiiiensions, averaging IMT* inches in length, .and 1.1'J in breadth. They are ren- 

 dered rough by a coating of calcareous nudter. The young at first ar«' blind, and of 

 a lilaek color ; and if approached when about a month old, they throw themselves into 

 the water. When undisturbed, howevci they remain in their nest until they are able 

 to tiy. As soon as the birds are (dd enough to take care of themsi'lves large numbers 

 go to the inland streams and jionds fin- food. At this season .s»»me wander up tho 

 shore, going as far north as the Carolina coast, and others ascend the Mississippi to 

 the Ohio, where individuals have been seen in October. It is, however, quite possible 

 that .\iiduboii may have confounded the <ii/o/i/uix with this form, especially as he was 

 not aware of the fact that the former is frcipu'iitly met with in the interior. 



The Hesh of /'. fforidiintis is dark colored, of a rank taste, tough, and of a very lisliy 

 Havor. The young are eaten by the Indians and negroes, and are s(dd in the New 

 Orleans market, and used by the p»)orer peopli> for gumbo soup. 



Kggs of this spei'ies in the Smith.souian Collection (No. l.".M'.)), obtained in Florida, 

 at the Island of St. (ii'orge's, by Dr. Hryaut, have the chalky glaucous whiteness 

 peculiar to all the eggs of this genus. Three s[;ccinu'ns measure, 1.'.30 by l.lo inclu's ; 

 LM-'O by I.oO ; and 2.1>0 by 1.45. 



Phalacroeoraz mexicaniui. 



THB MEXICAN COSMOBANT. 



Cnrh} me.rirntiH.i, nilANDT, Hull. Se. Acml. .St. I'ctiTsl). III. 1S.1S, lift. 



driiciiliin Hic.nVniii(.t, Hdnai'. ('i)Iis|i. II. 18,1.5, I'M. -t'oiKs, Key, 1872, 203; Check I-ist, 18";», n«. 



f>31; n. N. W. 1874, .'588. .Ssow, Cut. M. Khiishh. 1873, 12 (l.iiwn'iiw, Knn., April 2, 1872; 



oncB|H'iimuii). — Klixiw. Hull. N. <).(". V. 1880,31 (Cairo, 111.). 

 Phahu-niconij: mi-d-icaiiim, Uumiw. Noiii. N. Ain. 11. 1881, no. 044. — Coiikm, 2il Clii'ck List, 1882, 



no. 7ri4. 



ii'i:. 



