PIIALACIIOCOUACID.E — THE CORMORANTS — PHALACROCORAX. 159 



liliic ; iris <,'reeii ; 1l'i,'s and feet deep lilack. Adult, in winter: Similur to tlie above, but white 

 lil.iiiu'iitous featliurs entirely absent. Yimng, first iilunuKjf : Head, neck, and rump dark silky 

 iuli;,'inous, nearly black on the nape ; back, scapulars, and \vinj,'-coverts blackish dusky, the feath- 

 ers bordered with light grayish brown ; upper part of the throat and median lower jiart.s jiale fawn- 

 (iilor ; ju<,'ulum, breast, sides, and flanks raw-und)er brown. "Bill yellow, with the edge brown ; 

 1,'ular sac and bare skin about the eyes orange " (Auduhox). 



Seven specimens examined, the measurements being as follows: Wing, 10.50-11.75 inches 

 (average, 11.2S); tail, 5.50-0.50 (5.93); culmen, 2.60-2.95 (2.80); tarsus, 2.40-2.75 (2.58); 

 middle toe, 3.50-3.80 (3.03). 



This species, described by Audubon under tlie name of Townsend's Cormorant, 

 Lad previously been given by Gray as ]5randt"s Cormorant, and is, so far as we are 

 aware, confined to the Pacific coast of North America. AVe luive no descriptions of 

 its habits or movements warranting us in supposing that tliese differ in any essen- 

 tial respect from the habits of the other birds of this well-characterized genus, the 

 various species of which conform in all cases very closely to a certain uniform mode 

 of living and nesting, and which agree in all other respects except specifi(! in their 

 markings and their geographical distribution. It appears to be restricted to the coast 

 of California, Oregon, and Washington Territory. The exam])les described by Audu- 

 bon were given him by Mr. Townsend, who obtained them at Cape Disappointment, 

 ill ()ct(d)er, 18,T). 



Mr. Henshaw stales that this Cormorant is found upon the Farallon Islands in the 

 summer, and that it undoubtedly breeds also in the .Santa Barbara Group, although he 

 was not (piite positive in regard to its presence on Santa Cruz in June. A number of 

 birds of this species were also taken on San ^ligui'l Island by Captain Forney. 



Dr. Cooper's observations enable hiui to state that this is by far the most abun- 

 dant species on the coast of California, and that it is suiiposed to extend very far 

 to tlie north, beyond San Francisco, and also to an unknown distance in the opposite 

 direction. He found it abundant at San Diego during the winter, and in Hocks of 

 several hundreds, which sonuttinu's frequented the Bay, and at other times flew off to 

 the outside waters to fish, nu)ving in long straggling companies. This bird is also 

 met with in abundance all tlu? year round at San Francisco, and about the mouth 

 of the Columbia lliver. Dr. (,'ooper saw a few of this species among the Southern 

 Islands (hning the sunnner months ; but he did not find any of their nests. They 

 build in large numbers on the Farallon Islands, their lu'sts and eggs being much like 

 tlid.sc of the other species of this genus; the jirincipal difference being that the eggs 

 of this species are rather more inerusted witii a calcareous coating. Dr. CV)oper gives 

 as their average measurements 2.4<") inches in length, and l.^li in breadth. This bird 

 has nothing pecidiar in its mode of fishing, exeejit that it is rathei' more gregarious 

 tiiau the others are. It is said to liave its full share of the stupidity supposed to 

 be common to this family. Hencr' it is not infrequently found flying on board steam- 

 bi):ifs and other vessels, although at times it ajipears to be very suspicious. At San 

 nit'go large numbers of this Cornu)rant were found putting on their mature plu- 

 iiiai,'(> ; and this process appeared to be dei)endent on a cliange in the color of their 

 feathers, rather than one resulting from the usual process of moulting. 



Eggs of this species in the Smithsonian Institution collection (Xo. 10055), from 

 tlif Farallon Islands, collected by Jlr. Hepburn, measure from U.liO inches to 2.45 in 

 li'iigtb, and from 1,4.") to 1.55 in breadth. 



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