411 



FAMILY XLL— PELECANINiE. PELECANS. 



Bill longer than the head, rather slender, straight, upper mandible with 

 the ridge separated from the side by a groove, and terminated by a narrow, 

 generally decurved, pointed unguis; lower mandible with the crura elastic 

 and extensile, the angle very long and narrow. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, 

 small, or obsolete. Space around and before the eye generally bare, as is a 

 portion of the gular sac. Head generally of moderate size, but various; neck 

 long; body elongated, rather slender. Feet short and stout; tibia bare at its 

 lower part; tarsus short, very stout, compressed, scaly or scutellate in front; 

 toes four, all connected by webs, and scutellate; first small, fourth longest. 

 Claws short, strong, curved, rather blunt, that of the third toe generally 

 pectinate. Plumage soft, blended, on the back compact and imbricated. 

 Wings long; tail of moderate length, narrow, rounded or tapering. Tongue 

 extremely small, triangular, fleshy; oesophagus excessively wide; a gular sac, 

 sometimes of enormous capacity; proventricular belt generally discontinuous; 

 stomach very small, slightly muscular, epithelium smooth; a globular pyloric 

 lobe; intestine very long and slender; cceca small, cylindrical; cloaca 

 globular. Trachea simple, flattened; no inferior laryngeal muscles. 



Genus I.— PHALACROCORAX, Briss. CORMORANT. 



Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, nearly straight, com- 

 pressed toward the end; upper mandible with the dorsal line concave, until on 

 the unguis, where it is decurved, the ridge convex, flattened toward the end, 

 separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the sides convex, the edge 

 sharp and nearly straight as far as the unguis, which is decurved, convex 

 above, acute, its tip ascending far beyond that of the lower; lower mandible 

 with the angle long and very narrow towards the end, filled up by an 

 extensile membrane, which extends to the level of the angle of the mouth; 

 the outline of the crura very slightly convex, that of the terminal part 

 descending and very slightly convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp and 

 inflected, the tip compressed, with its marginal outline decurved. Nostrils 

 obliterated (in youth open). Head rather small, oblong; neck long and 



