PHALACROCORACIDiE — THE COKMOKANTS — I'UALACROCORAX. 147 



coverts black, slightly glossy; i)rimaiies and tail dusky, the shafts of the rectrices dull light ashy, 

 paler basally. Head, neck, and juguluin dull grayish brown, the pileum and nape blackish dusky, 

 the upper part of the throat brownish white ; remaining lower parts brownish dusky, mixed with 

 white along the median line. Young, iii, vnnter : Similar to the aljove, but upper part of throat, 

 jugulum, breast, and middle of the abdomen white, streaked, except on the first, with grayish 

 brown ; pileum, nape, sides of the neck, and middle of the forenecK grayish brown.^ Nestling: 

 " The inside of the mouth and the gularsac flesh-colored ; the bill dusky, at the base flesh-colored ; 

 the eyes bluish gray. The general color of theii" skin is dull livid ; the feet purplish dusky, the 

 webs yellowish brown" (Audubon). 



Total length, about 37.00 inches ; extent, 40.00 ; wing, 12.90-14.00 ; tail, 7.2.5-7.75 ; culnien, 

 2.30-2.85 ; tarsus, 2.51 ; outer toe, 3.47. (Average of four specimens, 13.84, 7.50, 2.57, 2.51, 

 3.47.) 



We have not been able to examine sufficient material to enable us to decide whether, to our 

 mind, American examples of this species are separable from European. 



The Common Cormorant appears to be a bird of very general distribution through- 

 out nearly the whole northern hemisphere — breeding in high northern regions, wan- 

 dering southward in the winter, and occurring also irregularly in places distant from 

 its usual resort. It is found in Greenland and Labrador, in North America, in summer, 

 and along the Atlantic coast in winter. It breeds in Northern Europe and Asia, and 

 wanders in winter to the Mediterranean, to India, to China, to Japan, and even to 

 Australia. Though met with on the eastern shores of Asia, I cannot find that any 

 are reported from the western coast of North America. 



The Cormorant is almost exclusively confined to the sea-coast and large rivers, 

 and is only occasionally seen on inland waters. Like the Pelican, the Gannet, and 

 the Booby, it is a fisher, and lives exclusively upon the food it thus catches. Its 

 plumage, its general structure, and its powerful hooked bill are admirably adapted 

 for this mode of life. 



It is given by Reinhardt as a regular resident of Greenland, breeding on its coast, 

 and continuing there the greater part of the year. It was also met with by Dr. 

 Walker on the same coast, near Godthaab. Audubon and Dr. Bryant found it 

 breeding in considerable numbers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the coast of 

 Labrador. 



The Messrs. Godman found this bird abundant on all the islands off the coast of 

 Norway, where it was breeding indiscriminately in company with the common Crested 

 Shag. It is also given by Middendorff as occurring in Siberia, in the northern 

 barrens, or timdras. 



Lieutenant Sperling mentions finding this species abundant in the Mediterranean. 

 On the morning of December 6, when shooting Ducks on the coast of Greece, he 

 saw a large flock of Cormorants — not less than two thousand in number — pass- 

 ing close over his head as he was lying concealed; they appeared to be flying 

 in a southeast direction. Mr. Saunders found this species common in Southern 

 Spain, where, during the winter, it was very generally distributed along the coast and 

 on the principal rivers. Captain G. E. Shelley found it abundant throughout Egypt 

 during the winter ; but did not observe any in Nubia, nor did he meet with any after 

 March. Dr. A. L. Adams speaks of finding this bird in large numbers below Thebes, 



1 These two descriptions of the young are taken from two European examples without dates on their 

 labels. They may be of the same age, and the differences of coloration due to individual variation ; but 

 judging from analogy in the case of P. dilopluis, the wliiter the lower parts, the greater the age of the 

 individual — the black of tlie adult dress appearing in spots the following, or possibly not until the 

 third, year. 



