THE FLORIDA CORMORANT. 437 



Upper mandible black, along the basal margins bright blue; lower bright 

 blue, curiously spotted with white. Iris light green, margins of eyelids light 

 blue, spotted with white. Bare space on the head and gular sac rich orange. 

 Feet and claws greyish-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, tinged with 

 purple, their fringe-like margins greenish-black. Primary quills brownish- 

 black, secondary like the other feathers of the wing. Tail brownish-black. 

 The shafts of all the feathers brownish-black. 



Length to end of tail 29§ inches, to end of wings 25^, to end of claws 

 28^; extent of wings 46^; wing from flexure llf; tail 6; bill along the back 

 2/2, along the edge of lower mandible 3^; tarsus 2; outer toe 3-^j, its 

 claw |f. Weight 3^ lbs. 



The Female is precisely similar to the male. 



The young, after their first moult, have the bill dull yellow, the ridge of 

 the upper mandible dusky, the unguis or hook horn-colour; the naked parts 

 about the base of the bill rich yellow, the iris light green, the feet as in the 

 adult. The feathers of the head and neck are blended, but not silky; the 

 upper part of the head and the hind neck are brownish-black, tinged with 

 green, the throat greyish-white, the fore neck and anterior part of the breast 

 variegated with pale brownish-grey and black. The rest of the plumage is 

 as in the adult, but the imbricated feathers of the upper parts of a lighter 

 colour, but not bronzed. 



