COMMON CORMORANT. 465 



sible membrane, which extends a short way down the throat, its short dorsal 

 line a little convex, then concave, the sides scaly, erect, and slightly convex, 

 the edges sharp and inflected, the tip compressed and obliquely truncate. 

 Head rather large, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and stout. 

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

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

 ed, covered all round with scales, of which the outer are subhexagonal. 

 the inner transversely elongated, the posterior very small and roundish. 

 Toes all placed in the same plane, and connected by reticulated webs, co- 

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

 longest. Claws strong, curved, compressed, acute, that of the third toe 

 pectinated on its inner edge. 



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. The middle feathers of 

 the occiput and hind neck are elongated, and those of the head and up- 

 per neck are intermixed with numerous linear feathers of a different colour, 

 and erectile at will. Space around the eye, and to a large extent along 

 the base of the bill, together with the small gular sac, bare. Wings ra- 

 ther small; primaries very strong, curved, rather narrow, tapering and 

 obtuse, third longest, second almost as long, first little shorter ; secon- 

 daries decurved, broad, broadly rounded, the inner broad and shorter. 

 Tail small, much rounded, of fourteen narrow, rounded feathers, having 

 extremely long shafts. 



Upper mandible greyish-black, along the edges yellowish-white ; lower 

 yellowish-white at the base, dusky towards the end. Iris light bluish- 

 green, margins of eyelids dusky. Bare space about the eye dull olive, 

 below it bright red, the gular sac yellow. Feet and claws greyish-black. 

 All the silky part of the plumage is black, glossed with deep greenish- 

 blue ; at the base of the gular sac is a broad gorgelet of white, and the 

 linear interspersed feathers over the head and upper neck are white, there 

 is also a large parcel of elongated white feathers on the side over the 

 thigh. The feathers of the wings and part of the back are dull bluish-grey 

 glossed with bronze, their fringe-like margins greenish-black. Primary 

 quills greyish-black, secondary like the other feathers of the wing. Tail 

 greyish-black. The shafts of all the feathers are black at the end, leaden- 

 grey towards the base. 



Length to end of tail 37 inches, to end of claws 36 ; to end of wing;^ 



VOL. III. G rr 



