240 PEI.ECANIB.'E. 



The great auk is of extreme rarity, not only in the seas around 

 the British Islands, but in all those of Europe ; — and it may be 

 added, of America also, so far as positively known at the date of 

 publication of xVudubon's work. This author was, liowever, as- 

 sured by fishermen tliat the species breeds in a low rocky island 

 to the south-cast of Newfoundland. 



THE COMMON OE GREAT COBMOEANT.* 



Phalacrocorax carbo, Steph. 

 Pelecanus „ Linn. 

 Carbo cormoranus, Temm. 



Is of ordinary occurrence, and resident. 



It may be steen every day about our coasts either on the water or 

 conspicuously perched on any prominent object rising above its 

 surface ; buoys, &c., in our harbours being as favourite perching 

 places as rocks. It may not unfrequently be observed flying over 

 land, on the way to or from some fresh-water lake. I have met 

 with it at such localities a few miles from the sea, where the latter 

 would have afforded an abundant supply of food ; as in the month 

 of June, at Port-lough (near Dunfanaghy), some two or three 

 miles inland — in July, at a small lake near Portaferry (Strang- 

 ford Lough), — in the middle of June 1833, some appeared about 

 Lough Neagh, in the vicinity of Eam's Island ; and when visit- 

 ing the lake on another occasion, I was told that a species 

 of cormorant had bred on Scawdy rock — a low ridge — between 

 Toome and Shanes Castle. This is very improbable, and may 

 have been imagined from the circumstance of the birds being 

 seen there during summer. M^ Skimmin, in his ' History of 

 Carrickfergus, remarks of cormorants : — " Those here set oft, al- 

 most every morning, for Lough Neagh, and return again the same 

 evening : on one being shot just as it arrived from Lough Neagh, 



* " Skai-t " in Straugford Lough, &c. The ' crested coiToraut ' of Bewick is the 

 adult bird iu spring plumage. 



