COEMOBANT AND SNAKE-BIRD 



287 



of all tourists who care for the sight of what is 

 called a "pelicanery." In winter, southern 

 Texas is the haven for this bird, as well as for so 

 many other swimming-birds. 



THE CORMORANT FAMILY. 



Phalacrocoracidae. 



The Cormorant 1 is to me a most uninter- 

 esting bird. Month in and month out I have 

 seen them perching, and perching, — on spar 

 buoys in harbors, on mud-bank stakes, and on 

 dead trees along shore and up stream. For days 

 together have Cormorants fled up stream before 

 my boat, yet never once have I seen a wild 

 Cormorant do an interesting thing. Instead of 

 getting out and hustling for fish, like the pelican, 

 or taking delight in architecture, like the osprey, 

 the Cormorant tiresomely perches, and waits, 

 Micawber-like, for something to turn up. 



In captivity it does better. In our Flying- 

 Cage pool, the Cormorants play with sticks, 

 and dive for amusement, more than any other 

 bird, except the brown pelican. In fact, it 

 seems like a different creature from the wild 

 bird. 



The Cormorant is, in general terms, a dull 

 black bird, wholly devoid of colored plumage. 

 Its range is given in the check list of the Ameri- 

 can Ornithologists' Union as "coasts of the North 

 Atlantic, south in winter on the coast of the 

 United States, casually, to the Carolinas." It 

 lives upon fish, and wanders inland much farther 

 than might be supposed. 



The Double-Crested Cormorant 2 is the 

 bird of the interior of the United States, from 

 Texas northward into Manitoba, but also rang- 

 ing to the Atlantic coast. Its'color is glossy black. 

 On the Pacific coast, from Washington to Alaska, 

 is found the Pelagic Cormorant, 3 with an erect 

 crest rising from its forehead, and by which 

 this bird is ea-sily recognized. 



Pallas' Cormorant, which once inhabited the 

 northern shore of Bering Sea, was the largest and 

 handsomest bird of this Family. Its prevailing 

 color was dark metallic-green, set off with blue 

 and purple reflections. It was discovered by 

 Bering in 1741, but is now quite extinct. 



1 Phal-a-cro-co'rax car'bo. Average length, 34 

 inches. 



2 P.'di-lo'phus. 3 P. pe-lag'i-cus. 



THE DARTER FAMILY. 



Anhingidae. 



The Snake-Bird, Darter, or Water -"Tur- 

 key," 4 is a web-footed bird, with many pecul- 

 iarities. Its most popular name — Snake-Bird 

 — has been bestowed in recognition of the fact 

 that in this bird the neck and head are so long 

 and slender they suggest the body and head of 

 a snake. When not in action, the head and upper 

 neck are only an inch in diameter, yet so rub- 

 ber-like is the skin I have seen a Darter swallow 

 a mullet 8 inches long, and 1J inch in diameter— 

 a truly snake-like stretch. Frequently when 

 the head of a fish is in this bird's crop, the tail 

 fin will protrude from a corner of the mouth. 



The beak is like a Spanish dagger, and at all 

 times is decidedly a dangerous weapon. One 

 well-aimed stroke is enough to stab any or- 

 dinary bird to death, or destroy an eye. In a 

 cageful of Darters the presence of a quarrel- 



Drawn by Edmund J. Sawyer. 



SNAKE-BIRD. 



4 An-hin'ga an-hin'ga. Average length, 33 inches. 



