182 



CORMORANTS— BRANT-GANNET— SCOOTER-WIDGEON-DUCKS— TERN. 



White-tufted Cormorant. {Graculus cincinnatus.) 

 Fig. 6. 



Florida Cormorant. {Graculus dilophus, var. Jloridanus) 



Fig. 7. 



Cormorants are species of birds whose habits are all very much 

 alike. As their name indicates, their voracity is seemingly im- 

 possible to satisfy; they will eat as much and as long as they can, 

 and immediately attack other food that may happen to come within 

 their reach. They are represented in all parts of the world, 

 living in the sea, where they occupy some rocky island, or in 

 fresh water marshes, or in lakes and rivers, only casually visiting 

 the sea-coast, and seldom the interior. Their food is principally 

 of fish, which is obtained by diving. Their flight is much better 

 than one would suppose from their appearance. They also walk 

 tolerably well on level ground. 



The Mexican Cormorant inhabits Mexico, Southern United 

 States up the Mississippi Valley to Illinois. 



Pallas' Cormorant is a species of the North Pacific coast. 



The Red-faced Cormorant, a resident of Alaska. 



The White-tufted Cormorant, same residence as last. 



The Florida Cormorant is a variety of the Double-crested Cor- 

 morant, represented on Plate XIII, fig. 2, page 14. It is met in 

 the Florida and Gulf coast. 



Black Brant. {Branta bernicla^ var. nigricans?) 



Fig. 8. 



This variety of the typical species, represented on Plate 

 LXXXIII, fig. 1, page 127, is very abundant on the Pacific coast, 

 and is also met, but not so numerously on the Atlantic coast ; 

 their habits are about the same. 



Booby Gannet. {Sula fiber?) 

 Fig- 9- 



This species is very abundant on the coasts of our South Atlantic 

 and Gulf States. Their nest is built in low trees or bushes ; their 

 food and mode of obtaining it, as well as other habits, are similar 

 to the common species represented on Plate LXIX, fig. 1, page 98. 



Trowbridge's Scooter; Long-billed Scooter. {Aedemia perspicilliata, 

 var. trowbridgei?) 



Fig. 10. 



This variety of the typical species, represented on Plate LXV, 

 fig. 4, page 96, is a winter visitor to the coast of California. 



European Widgeon. {Mareca penelope.) 



Fig. 11. 



Specimens of this European bird are frequently shot along the 

 Atlantic coast, from Greenland to Florida and to California. There 

 is quite a similarity in the characteristics and habits of this species 

 and the American Widgeon or Bald-pate, represented on Plate 

 LXII, fig. 1, page 88. 



St. Domingo Duck. {Erismatura dominical) 



Fig. 12. 



This is a South America and West India species, of which a few 

 only have been obtained, which are supposed to be stragglers. The 

 close, harsh plumage of this bird is readily distinguished by the 

 peculiarity of its coloring from that of all other Ducks. 



Labrador Sand-shoal, or Pied Duck. {Camptolcemus labradorius.) 

 Fig. 13- 



This most rare species has for its habitat the northeastern coast 

 of North America, occasionally it reaches the shores of New Jersey, 

 where it is called by sportsmen the Sand-shoal Duck, from its habit 

 of frequenting sand-bars in quest of minute shell-fish, which con- 

 stitute its principal food, and which it procures by diving like other 

 Sea Ducks. 



Pacifio Eider. {Somateria V. nigra?) 



Fig. 14. 



A common species of the Arctic and North Pacific coast, which 

 is similar in all appearances, except the V-shaped black mark on 

 the chin, to the Eider Duck, represented on Plate LXV, fig. I, 

 page 93. 



Florida Dusky Duck. {Anas obscurus, var. fulvigula. 



Fig- IS- 



This is a variety of the Dusky Duck, represented on Plate 

 LVIII, fig. 3, page 85. It is a resident of Florida. 



Elegant Tern. {Sterna galericulata.) 



Fig. 16. 



This elegant species is a resident along the Pacific coast, from 

 Peru to California. Its habits are very similar to other Terns. 



