. THE FLORIDA CORMORANT. 433 



up and swam joyously around each other, croaking all the while. Twenty or 

 more pairs at a time were thus engaged. Indeed, the water was covered 

 with Cormorants, and, had I chosen, I might have shot several of them. I 

 now advanced slowly towards them, when they stared at me as you might 

 stare at a goblin, and began to splash the water with their wings, many 

 diving. On my proceeding they all dispersed, either plunging beneath or 

 flying off, and making rapidly towards the mouth of the inlet. Only a few 

 nests were on the mangroves, and I looked upon the spot as analogous to the 

 tournament grounds of the Pinnated Grouse, although no battles took place 

 in my presence. A few beautiful Herons were sitting peaceably on their 

 nests, the musquitoes were very abundant, large ugly blue land-crabs crawled 

 among the mangroves, hurrying towards their retreats, and I retired, as I had 

 arrived, in perfect silence. While proceeding I could not help remarking 

 the instinctive knowledge of the fishes, and thought how curious it was that, 

 as soon as they had observed the Cormorants' hole, none had gone farther, 

 as if they were well aware of the danger, but preferred meeting me as I 

 advanced towards the birds. 



The nest of the Florida Cormorant is of rather a small size, being only 

 eight or nine inches in diameter. It is formed of sticks crossing each other, 

 and is flat, without any appearance of finishing. All the nests are placed on 

 a western exposure, and are usually completely covered with excrement, as 

 are also frequently the eggs, which are three or four, and differ in size, their 

 average length, however, being two inches and a quarter, their greatest 

 breadth one inch and three and a half eighths. They are rendered rather 

 rough by the coating of calcareous matter which surrounds them; but when 

 this is removed, the real shell is found to be of a uniform fine light bluish- 

 green tint. I was unable to ascertain the period of incubation. The young 

 are at first blind, naked, black, and extremely uncouth. On placing some 

 which were quite small on the water, they instantly dived, rose again, and 

 swam about at random, diving on the least noise. If you approach them 

 when about a month old, they throw themselves from the nest and plunge 

 into the water. When undisturbed, they remain in the nest until they are 

 fully fledged and able to fly, after which they undergo various changes, and 

 are not perfect until nearly two years old. 



Soon after they are left to shift for themselves, great numbers go to search 

 for food in the quiet waters of inland streams. Thousands may now be seen 

 on the lakes of the interior of the Floridas, and on the large rivers there. 

 At this season many proceed as far as the Capes of North Carolina, the 

 Mississippi, the Arkansas, the Yazoo, and other streams, including the fair 

 Ohio, on which they are at times seen early in October, when they begin to 

 return to the places of their nativity. During several weeks which I spent 



Vol. VI. 59 



