1186 PHALACROCORAX CARBO. 



Mr. Dresser considers that American birds exceed European ones ; but the dimensions he gives of Bay of Fundy 

 specimens (wiug 14-4 inches, tail 8-0, tarsus 3-0, culmen 3'45) are, as regards wing and bill at any rate, by no 

 means excessive. 



Distribution. — The Common Cormorant is, I think, a more frequent visitor to the island of Ceylon than 

 has been supposed, and, though it may not breed there, remains apparently (perhaps as an immature or non- 

 breeding bird) during the entire year, as I have seen very large Cormorants, larger to the eye when seen at 

 .some little distance than the smaller species, on, the Minery and Amblangoda lakes during the south-west 

 monsoon. It has not been hitherto included in the Ceylon lists, but is, I am told, not uncommon during the 

 cool season on the Jaffna estuary or lake, whence I possess fine specimens shot by Mr. Clarke and kindly 

 given me by Mr. W. Murray. If the bird is as common on this lake as has been represented to me, it is no 

 doubt to be found in other situations in the north, probably on the Palverainkadoo and Mullaittivu lagoons. 



According to Jerdon it is found throughout India, but rare towards the south, being there found chiefly 

 in rivers that run through forest ; in the north it is more common, he observes, especially in Bengal and on the 

 rivers within the Himalayas. In Nepal I find Dr. Scully says it is found on the Trisul Ganga in November ; 

 and Mr. Brooks met with it above Mussooree. It appears not to be recorded from the Deccan by any observer 

 of late ; but further north and to the east it is found in Chota Nagpur on both jheels and rivers : Mr. Ball 

 notes it from the Rajmehal hills, Lohardugga, and Sirguja. It does not appear to inhabit the neighbourhood 

 of Calcutta nor the district of Furreedpore. But turning westward, I find that it is found in the Allahabad 

 district, probably breeding there, aud is common in suitable localities throughout the Sindh, Jodhpore, 

 Guzerat, and Kattiawar regions, and that, as regards the province of Sindh, it abounds on the Muneher lake 

 and on the Eastern Narra; furthermore Mr. Hume noticed it all down the rivers Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab, 

 to Kurrachee, whence along the Mekran coast it was found very plentiful. At the Sambhur Lake Mr. Adam 

 notes it as rare ; and in Guzerat Capt. Butler says it is only a cold-weather visitant. Passing now beyond 

 the Bay of Bengal, it is said to be common by Mr. Oates in the streams of the Pegu plain, though not noticed 

 on the Pegu river; it breeds in vast numbers also in the Myitkyo swamp. Further south in Tenasserim it 

 is local, being found only on creeks between the Salween and the Sittang, westward of the latter stream, and 

 also on the Tavoy river. It does not inhabit the Andamans or Nicobars ; but it is recorded from the island 

 of Sumatra, and is doubtfully included by Salvadori in the avifauna of Borneo. 



Beyond the Malay archipelago, in which, as a whole, its distribution seems as yet to be imperfectly 

 worked out, it extends to Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, if we accept the verdict of Messrs. Finsch 

 and Schlegel that the antipodian bird is the same as ours. It occurs at Cape York, down the east coast to 

 Xew South Wales and Victoria, and in Tasmania is very abundant, ascending the large rivers to the lakes, 

 where Mr. Gould says it breeds. In the latter I have met with it on inlets and brackish lagoons. It is abun- 

 dant in Western Australia, and in New Zealand is common on the coast and in tidal rivers. Turning now to 

 the north, we find it recorded as common on the coast of China and in Formosa, but only found in the south 

 in winter. Pere David notes it likewise from the rivers in the interior. Further north it has been obtained 

 on the coast of Mantchuria, and extends up to Kamtchatka; in Japan it is very common on the coast of Yezo, 

 and was found by Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer in great abundance at Tokio, as also far inland on streams in 

 Yamoto. In Eastern Siberia it is plentiful in parts, though not so on the Upper Amoor ; it breeds on Lake 

 Baikal, and appears on the rivers as soon as the ice breaks up. It is numerous in Dauria, and in Mongolia is 

 abundant in the Hoang-ho valley and on Lake Dalai-nor. It arrives, says Prjevalsky, at Lake Hanka in 

 March, and in Koko-nor at the same time. In Kashgharia, however, it is a permanent resident, writes 

 Dr. Scully, who found it in August affecting mud cliffs at Tungtash in small parties ; and in Turkestan 

 Severtzoff says it breeds in the north and uorth-west, but occurs on passage only in the south-west. In 

 Southern Persia Major St. John met with it abundantly on lakes and rivers ; and Mr. Blanford says it is 

 plentiful on the Caspian. On the coasts of Asia Minor it is also found, and in Palestine is abundant on the 

 sea- board, according to Canon Tristram, visiting likewise the mouth of the Jordan. 



In Greece it is very common, and breeds abundantly, write Messrs. Elwes and Buckley, on the Bosphorus 

 and Sea of Marmora. On the northern shores of the Black Sea and on the Sea of Azoff it likewise breeds, 

 and occurs, according to Artzibaseheff, a Russian naturalist, in incredible numbers at the mouth of the Volga. 



