THE DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. 427 



incurved, acute. No external nostrils. Lower mandible with the angle 

 long and very narrow towards the end, filled by an extensive membrane, 

 which extends a short way down the throat, its dorsal line a little convex, 

 the sides erect and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip compressed 

 and obliquely truncate. 



Head rather small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and rather 

 slender. Body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed far behind; tibia 

 feathered in its whole length; tarsus very short, strong, much compressed, 

 covered all round with scales, of which the anterior and lateral are large and 

 sub-hexagonal, the posterior very small and roundish. Toes all placed in the 

 same plane, and connected by reticulated webs, covered above with very 

 numerous oblique scutella; first toe smallest, fourth longest. Claws rather 

 small, strong, compressed, acute. 



Plumage of the head, neck, lower parts and posterior portion of the back 

 glossy, blended and silky, of the fore part of the back and wings compact, 

 the feathers with loose glossy margins. From behind the eye to the length 

 of an inch and a half on each side, an elongated tuft of long slender, loose 

 recurved feathers. Space around the eye, and to a large extent along the 

 base of the bill, together with the small gular sac, bare. Wings rather small; 

 primaries very strong, curved, rather narrow, tapering and obtuse, second 

 longest, third almost equal, first longer than fourth; secondaries decurved, 

 broad, broadly rounded, the inner narrower. Tail of moderate length, very 

 narrow, much rounded or cuneate, of twelve narrow, rounded feathers, 

 having extremely strong shafts. 



Upper mandible dusky, along the edges greyish-yellow; lower yellow, 

 irregularly marked with dusky towards the edges. Iris bright green, margin 

 of eyelids, bare space on the head, and gular sac, rich orange. Feet and 

 claws black. All the silky part of the plumage is greenish-black, at a 

 distance appearing black, but at hand in a strong light green. The imbricated 

 feathers of the back and wings greyish-brown, their fringe-like margins 

 greenish-black; primary quills brownish-black; secondary like the other 

 feathers of the wing. Tail black, the shafts of all the feathers black. 



Length to end of tail 33 inches, to end of wings 29, to end of claws 33; 

 extent of wings 51; wing from flexure 13; tail 6§; bill along the back 2-^, 

 along the edge of lower mandible 3 T \; tarsus 2-?%; outer toe 3f , its claw ff. 

 Weight 5 lbs. 7 oz. 



The Female is somewhat smaller, but in other respects is similar to the 

 male. 



The Young, after the first moult, have the head and neck mottled with 

 greenish-black and greyish-brown; the other parts as in the adult, but the 

 tufts on the head wanting. 



