BIRDS — PHALACROCORACIDAE — GRACULUS VIOLACEUS. 



881 



No. 9892 is larger, the wing measuring 12 inches ; the bill, 3 ; the tail, 5.50. 



Young. Head, neck, back, and wings blackish brown, the feathers of the back and wings 

 with greyish brown margins ; under plumage dull rusty brown, the middle of the abdomen 

 greyish ; gorgelet fawn color as in the adult. This is the plumage of one of the original 

 specimens of Mr. Audubon's " townsendi," (now in the cabinet of Professor Baird.) The fawn 

 colored gorgelet which extends in a point on the lower part of the gular sac, together with the 

 form and character of the bill, agreeing with the specimens of the adult under examination, in 

 my opinion, are satisfactory evidence of its being this species. 



The true position of "townsendi" heretofore has been one of much uncertainty. G-ray, in 

 Gen. of Birds, places it under " dilopJius" as the young, as does also Grambel in Jour. Phil. 

 Acad. Bonaparte, in Cons. Avium, puts it with a question, as a synonym of "Gr. irasilianus, 

 Gm.," but in Comptes Rendus has it under " dilophus." 



The form of the gular sac, and whether entirely bare or encroached upon by the feathers of 

 the throat, are points which appear to have been generally overlooked in describing the different 

 species of cormorants. I consider these features strong characters, that will materially aid in 

 determining species when not in mature plumage, as maybe instanced in the above case. 



The bill is of moderate strength, and entirely smooth both on the sides and ridge. 



List of specimens. 



GRACULUS VIOLACEUS, Gray. 



Violet Green Cormorant. 



Pelecanus violaceus, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 575. 



Graculus violaceus, Gray, Gen. of Birds, 1845. — Bon. Comptes Rendus, XLII, 1856, 766. 



Phalacrocorax resplendena, Ann. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 148.— Ib. Syn. 1839, 304.— Ib. Birds Am. VI, 1843, 430 ; pi. 



ceecxix. 

 Urile hicristatus, Bon. Cons. Av. II, 1855, 175. 



Sp. Ch. — Violet green ; narrow white feathers are sparingly distributed on the sides of the neck, and hind part and sides of 

 the body ; gular sac orange. 



Adult. Crown and sides of the head dark bluish green, gradually blending with the beautiful violet blue of the hind head and 

 entire neck ; back, rump, wings, and under plumage of a rich deep green ; axillars, sides under the wings, and thighs violet blue; 

 smaller wing coverts violet ; primaries brownish black, as are the other quills on their inner webs ; tail and shafts black ; the 

 entire plumawe very lustrous and silky in appearance ; dispersed over the neck and on the sides of the body near the thighs are 

 numerous short white piliform feathers which expand at the end in the form of a small brush ; gular sac and bare space about 

 the eye orange; feathers of the throat exteud upon the lower part of the gular sac for about half its length, and terminate in a 

 point ; upper mandible blackish brown, lower dusky yellow ; legs and feet black. 



Length, 28 inches ; alar extent, 41 ; wing, 10.50 ; tail, 6.25 ; bill, 2 ; tarsus, 1.90 , outer toe and claw, 3.75. 



Hab Western coast of North America. California, Washington Territory. 



Sept. 23, 1858. 



nib 



