432 



The CoBMor.AsT.- 



-BIRDS.- 



-The Tropic Bird. 



themselves to be stroked by the hand as they sit upon 

 tlieir nests. 



THE COBUOSANT {Phalacrocorax Carho). — The 

 Cormorants constitute an exceedingly numerous group 

 of birds, including species scattered in all parts of 

 the world, and frequenting indifferently salt and fresh 

 water. They have a rather long, nearly straight, 

 compressed bill, with the upper mandible strongly 

 hooked at the tip, but destitute of the pouch char- 

 acteristic of the Pelicans ; the face and upper part 

 of the throat are naked, and the latter is capable of 

 much dilatation, so as to serve as a receptacle for their 

 prey. 



The Common Cormorant is a large bird, measuring 

 about three feet in total length. It is of a black colour 

 beneath, and dark-brown above, with the margins of 

 tiie feathers black ; on each thigh there is a white 

 patch ; the naked skin of the face and throat is yel- 

 low, bordered witli white. In the spring and summer 

 the feathers of the back of the head are elongated, 

 forming a sort of crest, and the head and neck bear 

 numerous slender white feathers. 



This bird is abundant on the British coasts, where 

 it breeds on the elevated ledges of lofty cliffs, making 

 a large nest of grass and sea-weeds, in which tlie 

 female lays from four to si.x eggs. The Cormorant 

 flies well, and, unlike the preceding species, swims 

 rapidly, and dives with facility in pursuit of its slippery 

 prey, in securing which the hooked point of the upper 

 mandible is of the greatest service to it. It is widely 

 distributed in the Old World, extending from this 

 country to China. 



THE FISHINQ CORMORAUT [Phalacrocorax sinen- 

 sis), a native of Northern India and China, is trained 

 by the Chinese to the business of fishing, for which 

 our British species was formerly employed. The 

 Chinese species is taken to the water with a leather 

 thong or metal ring round his neck to prevent his 

 swallowing the fish, and carried in a small boat to the 

 fishing station. Each boat carries several cormorants, 

 which descend from it into the water at the word of 

 command, dive down in pursuit of the fishes, and on 

 making a capture bring their prey to their master with 

 the greatest docility. If one of them gets hold of a 

 fish too large for his strength, the others will come to 

 his assistance, and between them the struggling prey 

 is conveyed to the boat. A second British species of 

 this genus is the Shag or Green Cormorant {P. 

 graculus), which ranges as far south as the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



THE FRIGATE BIRD [TachypeteH aquilus) .—1\ns. 

 bird is distinguished by having the tips of both 



mandibles bent downwards, by the enormous length 

 of its wings, ■which are larger in proportion to 

 its size than in any other bird, and by the small 

 size of its feet, of which the toes are only partially 

 united by a web. The Frigate Bird is abundant on 

 the Atlantic shores of both America and Africa ; it 

 passes nearly its whole life in the air, through which it 

 darts with incredible swiftness, or sails along with out- 

 stretched pinions at a considerable height, looking out 

 for its prey, on which it descends with lightning-like 

 rapidity and the most unerring precision. Not con- 

 tent with the produce of his own fishing, however, he 

 often acts the part of a pirate, attacking other marine 

 birds, and compelling them to disgorge their booty. 

 The Frigate Bird is said to build its nest upon trees. 



LE VAILLANT'S DARTER {Plvtus Le Vaiilaniir).— 

 The name of Darters is given to a few species of birds 

 inhabiting the tropical regions of both continents, and 

 distinguished by the elongated form of their bodies, 

 their long and slender necks, and elongated pointed 

 mandibles. In most respects they lesemble the Cor- 

 morants, and, like some of these, frequent fresh waters, 

 haunting the margins of lakes and rivers. They are 

 said frequently to perch upon the branch of a tree over- 

 hanging the water, and there to watch for the appear- 

 ance of a fish, upon which they immediately dart down. 

 When disturbed, they slip into the water with so little 

 effort, that they produce scarcely more agitation of the 

 surface than might be caused by an eel. They nidi- 

 ficate on the branches of trees. The species figured, 

 Le Vaillant's Darter, is a, common species in Southern 

 Africa, where it is known under the name of the 

 Schlanghalsrnrid or Snake-ncchcd bird. 



THE COMMON TROPIC BIRD {Phaeton a:thereus), 

 although neaily related to the Darters, is essentially 

 oceanic in its mode of hfe, passing its whole exist- 

 ence in almost incessant activity over the waves of 

 the tropical ocean. It is from the fact that this 

 bird and its allies are rarely seen beyond the 

 tropics, that their ordinary name is derived ; they are 

 also known under the name of Puille-en-qunie or 

 Straw-Uiil, in allusion to the two long and slender 

 feathers which they bear in their tails. These feathers 

 in the present species are of a pale-yellow or whitish 

 colour. Notwithstanding the distances to which it 

 flies over the open sea, this bird is said to return every 

 night to roost upon dry land ; its food consists entirely 

 of fish, and it breeds, like most of its tribe, upon the 

 rocks of the tropical shores or upon the scattered islands 

 of the ocean. Another well-known species is the 

 Red-tailed Tropic Bird {P. phanicurus), which has 

 the elongated feathers of tlie tail red. 



