BIRDS — PHILACROCOEACIDAE— GKACULUS MEXICANUS. 



879 



GKACULUS FLOKIDANUS, Bon. 



Florida Cormorant. 



Phalacrocorax Jloridanus, Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 387 : V, 1839, 639.— Ib. Syn. 1839, 303.— In. Birds Am. VI, 



1843, 430 ; pi. cccoxvii. 

 Graculus Jloridanus, Eon. Cons. Av. II, 1855, 172. — Is. Comptes Rendus, XLII, 1856, 766. 

 Phalacrocorax brasiliensis, Bon. Comp. List, 1838, 60. 

 Ch-aculus dilophus, Gray, Genera of Birds, 1845. 



Sp. Ch. — Greenish black ; behind each eye a narrow line of elongated feathers ; gular sac orange ; second primary longest ; 

 tail of twelve feathers, 



Jldult. Head, neck, lower part of back, and under plumage, greenish black ; feathers of the back, wing coverts, scapularies, 

 and tertiaries, ashy brown, tinged with purple, having their margins greenish black ; primaries blackish brown, the inner webs 

 lighter ; secondaries dark brown ; tail and shafts of the feathers brownish black ; a crest of lengthened feathers extends in a 

 line behind each eye backwards, and curving downwards ; bare skin near the eye and gular sac orange ; upper mandible black, 

 along the basal margins blue, lower blue variegated with white spots ; iris light green, margins of the eyelids light blue, spotted 

 with white ; tarsi, feet, and claws greyish black. 



Length, 29.75 ; wing, 11.75 ; tail, 6 ; bill, 9.40 ; tarsus, 215 ; outer toe and claw, 3.75 ; inner, 2.25 ; hind, 1.50. 



Hob. — Along the coast from Texas to Florida ; Mississippi river. 



Eatlier smaller than dilophus, but in plumage much resembling it, the colors of the hack and 

 wings are ashy hrown, in dilophus greyish, the sides of the bill are rough in the same manner 

 as in that species. 



The Florida cormorant is solely an inhabitant of the southern portion of the United States, 

 not proceeding further to the north than Carolina. They congregate in thousands on the 

 Florida keys at the season of reproduction, placing their nests on the mangrove bushes, many 

 being established on the same tree. 



They are expert divers and fly with great rapidity. 



List of specimens. 



GRACULUS MEXICANUS, Bon, 



Mexican Cormorant. 



Carho mexicanus, Brandt, Bull. Sc. Ac. Imp. Pet III, 1837, 56. 

 Graculus mexicanus, Bon. Cons. Av. II, 1855, 175. 

 Phalacrocorax lacustris, Gcndlach's MSS. 

 "Phalacrocorax resplendens, Lembete, Aves do Cuba, (Adult.)" 

 "Phalacrocorax townsendi, Lembete, Aves de Cuba, (Young.)" 



Sp. Ch. — Purplish black ; sides of the neck ornamented with white linear feathers, gular sac brownish orange. 



Mult. Head, neck, lower part of the back, smaller wing coverts, and under plumage, glossy black, in a strong light having 

 a tinge of bluish purple ; imbricate feathers of the upper part of the back and wings are of a clear brownish gray, with their 

 margins and shafts glossy black ; primaries blackish brown, the other quills brownish grey ; tail and shafts black ; a line of 

 small white spots runs from the upper mandible over and beyond the eye ; scattered over the sides of the neck are rather long 

 filamentous feathers of pure white ; gular sac brownish orange, bordered narrowly with pure white ; the gular sac is wide, at 



