SAND DUNES AND SALT MARSHES 



purple metallic sheen, it is provided with sev- 

 eral points of brilliant color. Thus its throat 

 is bare of feathers and is of an orange color, 

 as is also the bare skin at the base of the bill 

 and in front of the eye. The eyelids are jet 

 black with a beading of blue spots, while the 

 ejes themselves are an emerald green, and the 

 inside of the mouth is painted a vivid blue. 

 Its neck is long and snake-like, while its great 

 feet are like bats' wings with webs connecting 

 all the toes. Perched on a spar buoy, a favor- 

 ite spot, it sits upright, resting on its tail with 

 its neck curiously curved. It frequently sits 

 in spread-eagle style, with wings stretched 

 widely, the head turned to one side and up- 

 ward, looking for all the world like the eagle 

 on an old mirror. This position is sometimes 

 held for ten minutes at a time, and is occa- 

 sionally indulged in by the birds even when 

 they are sitting on the water. 



That cormorants in flight are sometimes 

 mistaken for geese is not surprising, yet their 

 uniform black color, their broader and more 

 slowly flapping wings, as well as the slight 

 curve in their necks, makes their recognition 

 easy. They fly in flocks of from ten to a hun- 

 dred or more, and may stretch out in a long 



138 



