p. pelagieus rrnplemfens : Female adult, siimtner plimmge. 



PIIALACROCORACIDyE — THE CORMORANTS — PII ALACROCORAX. 161 



/). IlobusUu: Wing, lO.ou .1.40 inches (a vuni^'c, 10.80); tiiil, 0.25-8.50 (7.0n) ; ciilinuii, 1.70- 

 :i.l0 (1.95) ; tiiims, 1.95-2.-15 (2.1()) ; outer too, ;j.OO-3.50 (3.20). [Kluvuii speciini'iis.] 



c. I!e.<phmkii8 : Toliillengtli, 25.50-2!).(X) inches ; e.\tent, 3!).1(M3.50 ; winj,',!).30-10.50 (aveia^,'!', 

 9.7!)) ; tail, 5.80-7.(M» (0.30) ; cuhiien, 1.65-2.00 (1.81) ; tarsus, 1.80-2.15 (l.O.")) ; outer toe, 2.90 

 -3.40 (3.04). [Fifteen specimens.] 



The Violot-green Cormorant was first described as a North American bird by Andii- 

 lion from 11 specimen obtained by ]\rr. To\vn.send at Cape ])isapi)ointinent, near the 

 moiitii of Columbia lliver. It is said to be tlie most 'oeantiful of the family loniid 

 within the limits of the United States. This species appears to Ii ive very nearly the 

 Slime distribution as G. penkiUa- 

 tii.i; but it is a somewhat more 

 northern species. Mr. Dall speaks 

 of it as being very common at 

 Sitka and at Kadiak, where speci- 

 mens were obtained l)y Mr. Histdi- 

 off. It is also said to b(^ abundant 

 at St. (Jeorge's Island, in I?ehring's 

 Sea, Avhere Cai)tain Smith obtained 

 several examples. It was also 

 found on the coast of Vancouver 

 Island by jMr. 11. Urowne. 



Dr. Cooper writes that the 

 original locality where this beauti- 

 ful species was first <liscovered — 

 namely, Cape I>isai)pointment, near the mouth of the C<dund)ia — was al.so the place 

 where ho first met with it, in 18i")4. The locality is very difficult of approach, on 

 account of the he...j surf constantly breaking upon the rocky shore, and it was 

 not without danger that he secured his specimen. At the same time he also noticed 

 tliere the pen !rif lotus and another Cormorant, which he supposed to be the adult of 

 P. pelinjliiis, and which had its flanks marked with a large patch of white. This, 

 ho thinks, must have been the same bird referred to by Townsend and Audubon as 

 /'. h'limnoth, and seen by the former at Cape Disappointment. 



Air. Dall refers to this species as being resident iir the Aleutian Islands. It was 

 common on the rocks in the outer bay at t ualaslika, but seldom approached the 

 liail)()r. He describes it as occurring in large flocks, and appearing to be of a very 

 in(iuisitive disposition — flying around the boat when the party was employed in 

 s(nni(ling, and uttering at intervals a shrill cry. He also found this species abiuidant 

 at tiic Shumagins. 



Eggs of this Cormorant in the Smithsonian Collection (Xo. 128i)8), obtained at 

 Sitka by Mr. IJischoff, measure 2.25 by 1.4.5 inches, and are in all respects undistin- 

 guisliable from the eggs of the other species of this jjeculiar geiuis. 



Mr. Dall, in his Report on the Avifauna of the Aleutian Islands west of Unalashka, 

 mentions this species as a resident of the Aleutian Islands. Specimens from Kyska, 

 ]no(ured July 8 — females — had the iris brown, and naked membrane somewliat 

 carunculated and of a coral-red; the mandible nearly black. Others from Amchitka, 

 July LT), had a dark-green iris and a similarly-colored gular sac. ( )ne obtained in 

 1872, at Unalashka, had a dark, nearly black, iris, with the gular sac flesh-colored, 

 passing into ashy gray above. All the birds seen apju'ared to possess small white 

 leathers scattered through the phunage in the breeding-season; but Mr. Dall is not 

 sure that the white thigh-patches are always of thj ^ Hoi-acter. There appears to be 



von. II. — 21 



J&MI 



