38 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



distance, then flaps the wings a few times. Anhingas secure 

 their food of fishes by pursuing them under water. The birds 

 are good swimmers and when too closely pressed often sub- 

 merge the body, moving off with only the head and neck 

 showing above the water. In such an attitude their resem- 

 blance to a snake is striking and easily accounts for the origin 

 of one of their common names. 



Food hcbbits. — Two stomachs of this bird from Alabama 

 contained remains of fishes, including sunfishes (Lepomis) 

 and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedixmum). 



CORMORANTS: Family Phalacrocoracidae. 



DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT; "WATER-TURKEY": 

 PhaXacrocorax OMritus auritus (Lesson). 



Stai,e records. — Cormorants occur in considerable numbers 

 in the Gulf and adjacent waters and occasionally along the 

 larger rivers throughout the State. They probably breed in 

 the State, but no nesting colonies have been located. The 

 birds are usually wary and are therefore infrequently shot. 

 They are known locally as "water turkeys," "water buzzards," 

 or "nigger-geese." 



On Perdido Bay and the adjacent Gulf beach in January, 

 1912, we found cormorants fairly common, mainly in small 

 companies, but twice gathered into flocks numbering about 

 100. Several small flocks were seen in Tensaw River and 

 Chuckvee Bay on March 19, 1912, and three single birds in 

 Mobile River, November 10, 1915. On Petit Bois Island, 

 November 24, 1915, cormorants were abundant, and in the 

 afternoon of that day I observed an almost continuous series 

 of flocks flying eastward along the inside beach; later many 

 large flocks were seen standing on the beach near the eastern 

 point of the island, where, doubtless, they roost. 



The bird is rarely seen on the coast in summer, but two were 

 observed on the west end of Petit Bois Island, July 3 and 

 July 29, 1913; two were seen singly, April 12, 1912, on the 

 Warrior River near Lock 15, and one in the Tennessee River 

 near Muscle Shoals, April 22, 1914. F. W. McCormack ob- 

 served two birds, July 22, 1891, near the mouth of Town 



