BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 29 
through the waters at various depths in pursuit of their favor- 
ite food, the fish. 
By some cormorantic agreement, they distribute themselves 
for feeding in such a manner as not to trespass upon each 
other’s domain during the breeding time, some individuals of 
them going many miles away to feed. The females during this 
period are allowed the nearer preserves and improve only the 
earlier and later portions of the day to supply their necessities. 
When the young are sufficiently grown they gather into im- 
mense fiocks in infrequented sections, and remain until the ice- 
lid of winter has been closed over their supplies of food when 
to appearance they do not go away, but are gone like the sea- 
son—and how, when, and where? 
In his communication to me of some observations made in 
Murray county in 1877, Prof. C. L. Herrick says of this species 
at lake Shetak: ‘‘The upper lake affords nesting places for in- 
numerable Cormorants which are known as black loons.” So 
from all sources, or at least many, including Lanesboro in Fill- 
more county from which Dr. Hvoslef says: ‘‘From April 3d, 
(1883), about fifty Cormorants were seen at the pond till the 
12th of October. About the same date, but two years later, 
Mr. F. L. Washburn found them at Dead lake in Otter Tail 
county, fairly common for the species. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Head, neck, lower part of back and under surface greenish- 
black; feathers of upper part of back, wing coverts, scapulars 
and tertiaries, grayish-brown, the margins greenish-black; 
primaries blackish-brown, lighter on inner webs; secondaries 
dark grayish-brown; tail black; a line of white filamentous 
feathers running from the bill over the eye, and a few similar 
ones distributed over the neck; behind each eye is a tuft of 
rather long, slender feathers, erect and curving forwards; bare 
space in the region of the eye and gular sac, orange; upper 
mandible blackish-brown, with edges yellowish; the lower 
mandible yellow. marked irregularly with dusky; iris bright 
green; legs, feet and claws, black, middle toe claw pectinated. 
Length, 33; wing, 13; tail, 6.75. 
Habitat, Eastern coast of North America, breeding from 
the Bay of Fundy northward; southward in the interior to the 
Great Lakes and Wisconsin. 
