, FLORIDA CORMORANT. 395 



slender loose elongated feathers. Space around the eye, and to a large 

 extent along the base of the bill, together with the small gular sac, bare. 

 Wings rather small ; primaries very strong, curved, rather narrow, taper- 

 ing and obtuse, second longest, third almost equal, first longer than fourth ; 

 secondaries decurved, broad, broadly rounded, the inner narrower. Tail 

 of moderate length, very narrow, much rounded, or cuneate, of twelve 

 narrow rounded feathers, having extremely strong shafts. 



Upper mandible black, along the basal margins bright blue ; lower 

 bright blue, curiously spotted with white. Iris light green, margins of eye- 

 lids light blue, spotted with white. Bare space on the head and gular sac rich 

 orange. Feet and claws greyish-black. All the silky part of the plumage 

 is greenish-black, at a distance appearing black, but at hand in a strong 

 light green. The imbricated feathers of the back and -wings greyish- 

 brown, tinged with purple, their fringe-like margins greenish-black. Pri- 

 mary quiUs brownish-black, secondary like the other feathers of the wing. 

 Tail brownish-black. The shafts of all the feathers brownish-black. 



Length to end of tail 29| inches, to end of wings 25^, to end of 

 claws 28i; extent of wings 46^; wing from flexure llf ; tail 6; bill 

 along the back 2/^, along the edge of lower mandible S/^ ; tarsus 2 ; 

 outer toe Si%, its claw i|. Weight 3| lb. 



The Female is precisely similar to the male. 



The young, after their first moult, have the bill dull yellow, the rido-e 

 of the upper mandible dusky, the unguis or hook horn-colour ; the naked 

 parts about the base of the bill rich yellow, the iris hght green, the feet 

 as in the adult. The feathers of the head and neck are blended, but not 

 silky ; the upper part of the head and the hind neck are brownish-black, 

 tinged with green, the throat greyish-white, the fore neck and anterior 

 part of the breast variegated with pale brownish-grey and black. The 

 rest of the plumage is as in the adult, but the imbricated feathers of the 

 upper parts are of a lighter colour, but not bronzed. 



This species differs from the Double-crested Cormorant principally in 

 being smaller, and in having the elongated feathers behind the eye much 

 fewer. The two species will be more particularly compared when the 

 latter is described. 



