424 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. 



Pelecantts (Carbo) dilophus, Double-crested Cormorant, Swains, and Rich- 

 ards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 473. 

 Double-crested Cormorant, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 483. 



Adult Male at the commencement of the breeding season. Plate 

 CCLVII. 



Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, somewhat compress- 

 ed, straight, with the tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line 

 slightly concave, until near the tip, when it is curved, the ridge convex, 

 and separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the sides erect, convex, 

 the edges sharp and straight as far as the unguis, which is strong, convex 

 above, incurved, acute. No external nostrils. Lower mandible with the 

 angle long and very narrow towards the end, filled by an extensive mem- 

 brane, which extends a short way down the throat, its dorsal Une a little 

 convex, the sides erect and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip 

 compressed and obliquely truncate. 



Head rather small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and rather 

 slender. Body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed far behind ; 

 tibia feathered in its whole length ; tarsus very short, strong, much com- 

 pressed, covered all round with scales, of which the anterior and lateral 

 are large and subhexagonal, the posterior very small and roundish. Toes 

 all placed in the same plane, and connected by reticulated webs, covered 

 above with very numerous oblique scutella ; first toe smallest, fourth 

 longest. Claws rather small, strong, compressed, acute. 



Plumage of the head, neck, lower parts and posterior portion of the 

 back glossy, blended and silky, of the fore part of the back and wings 

 compact, the feathers with loose glossy margins. From behind the eye 

 to the length of an inch and a half on each side, an elongated tuft of long 

 slender, loose recurved 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 nar- 

 row, rounded feathers, having extremely strong shafts. 



Upper mandible dusky, along the edges greyish-yellow ; lower yel- 

 low, irregularly marked with dusky towards the edges. Iris briglit green, 

 margin of eyelids, bare space on the head, and gular sac, rich orange. 



