634 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



Palmi- 



pedes. 



on wing, their mode of fishing being similar to that of the 

 divers. 



The common cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, is nearly 

 as large as a goose, and has a brownish-black colour, with 

 a white spot on the thigh, and streaks of the same colour 

 on the head and neck. It nestles in the cavities of rocks, 

 or on trees, laying three pale-green eggs, crusted with white 

 calcareous matter ; and is common in the northern parts of 

 both continents. It is stated that this species was formerly 

 trained in England for the purpose of catching fish. " When 

 they come to the rivers," says Willughby, "they take off their 

 hoods, and having tied a leather thong round the lower part 

 of their necks, that they may not swallow down the fish they 

 catch, they throw them into the river. They presently 

 dive under water, and there for a time, with wonderful 

 swiftness, they pursue the fish, and when they have caught 

 them, they rise presently to the top of the water, and 

 pressing the fish lightly with their bills, they swallow them, 

 till each bird hath in this manner swallowed five or six 

 fishes ; then their keepers call them to the fist, to which 

 they readily fly, and, little by little, one after another, 

 vomit up all their fish, a little bruised with the nip they 

 gave them in their bills. When they have done fishing, 

 getting the birds on some high place, they loose the string 

 from their neck, leaving the passage to the stomach free 

 and open ; and for their reward they throw them part of 

 the prey they have caught, to each, perchance, one or two 

 fishes, which they by the way, as they are falling in the 

 air, will catch most dexterously in their mouths." 



A very common species on our coasts is the crested 

 cormorant, Phal. cristatas, which is of a dark-greenish 

 colour, with a recurved frontal tuft, and resembles the 

 preceding in its habits, breeding in the rocky caverns of 

 islands and headlands. Many other species occur in differ- 

 ent parts of the world, the genus being generally distri- 

 buted. 



The frigate-birds, genus Tachypetes, differ from the 

 cormorants in having the tail forked, the wings extremely 

 elongated, the feet very short, with their webs emarginate, 

 and the tip of both mandibles decurved. Their flight is 

 extremely rapid and buoyant, and they prey upon fishes, 

 which they capture by plunging after them from on wing, 

 or obtain by forcing the gannets to disgorge. Only one 

 species is well known. 



The common frigate-bird, Tachypetes aquilus, is of a 

 dusky colour, more or less variegated with white on the 

 neck, and sometimes measures ten feet between the tips 

 of its extended wings. It inhabits the tropical regions, and 

 is found in great abundance on the island of Ascension. 

 Its principal food consists of flying-fishes, which it cap- 

 tures during their aerial excursions. The following ac- 

 count of this remarkable species, generally known to na- 

 vigators by the name of the man-of-war, or frigate, is 

 given by Mr Audubon. " This bird is possessed of a 

 power of flight, which I conceive superior to that of per- 

 haps any other bird. However swiftly the Cayenne tern, 

 the smaller gulls, or the jager, move on wing, it seems a 

 matter of mere sport to it to overtake any of them. The 

 goshawk, the peregrine, and the gyr-falcon, which I con- 

 ceive to be the swiftest of our hawks, are obliged to pur- 

 sue their victim, should it be a green-winged teal or pas- 

 senger-pigeon, at times for half a mile, at the highest 

 pitch of their speed, before they can secure them. The 

 bird of which I speak comes from on high with the velo- 

 city of a meteor, and on nearing the object of its pursuit, 

 which its keen eye has spied while fishing at a distance, 

 darts on either side to cut off all retreat, and with open 

 bill forces it to drop or disgorge the fish which it had just 



caught. See him now ! yonder, over the waves leaps the 

 brilliant dolphin, as he pursues the flying-fishes, which he 

 expects to seize the moment they drop into the water/ 

 The frigate-bird, who has marked them, closes his wings, 

 dives towards them, and now ascending, holds one of the 

 tiny things across its bill. Already fifty yards above the 

 sea, he spies a porpoise in full chase, launches towards the 

 spot, and in passing seizes the mullet that has escaped 

 from its dreaded foe ; but now, having obtained a fish too 

 large for his gullet, he rises, munching it all the while, as 

 if bound for the skies. Three or four of his own tribe 

 have watched him, and observed his success. They shoot 

 towards him on broadly extended pinions, rise in wide cir- 

 cles, smoothly, yet as swiftly as himself. They are now 

 all at the same height, and each, as it overtakes him, 

 lashes him with its wings, and tugs at his prey. See ! 

 one has fairly robbed him, but before he can secure the 

 contested fish it drops. One of the other birds has caught 

 it, but he is pursued by all. From bill to bill, and through 

 the air, rapidly falls the fish, until it drops on the waters, 

 and sinks into the deep. Whatever disappointment the 

 hungry birds feel, they seem to deserve it all." 1 



The boobies, or gannets, genus Sula, have the bill 

 straight, conical, a little compressed, and with the point 

 somewhat deflected, the edges serrate, or cut into by short 

 parallel lines. The throat and the space around the eyes 

 are bare ; the claw of the middle toe serrate, the wings 

 long and very narrow, and the tail cuneate or tapering. 

 They hover over the water when fishing, and plunge head- 

 long after their prey, resting a few moments on emerging 

 before they resume their flight. 



The common gannet or solan goose, Sula bassana, 

 occurs on the coasts of Europe and North America, and 

 breeds in vast numbers on remote and rocky islands. The 

 Bass Rock at the entrance of the Frith of Forth is a well- 

 known haunt of this species, as are Ailsa Craig in the 

 Clyde, St Kilda, and Suliskerry. The nest is very bulky, 

 and composed of sea- weeds ; the single egg not larger than 

 that of a domestic duck, and of a white colour ; the young, 

 at first covered with snow-white down, is when fledged 

 of a dark-brown colour, spotted with white. Although the 

 flesh of this species is rank and oily, it was formerly con- 

 sidered a kind of delicacy, and is still sparingly used in 

 the south of Scotland. 



The booby gannet, Sula Candida, is inferior in size to 

 the species just mentioned, which it closely resembles in 

 form and habits. It is common on the coasts of the warm- 

 er parts of America, particularly in the Bahama Islands 

 and the Brazilian seas. Although it sometimes nestles on 

 the ground, it generally builds on trees, and reposes there 

 at night. It is said to be a very stupid bird, allowing it- 

 self to be knocked on the head or seized, without attempt- 

 ing to escape, — whence the name of booby, commonly 

 given to it by the sailors, who frequently employ it as an 

 article of food, although its flesh is dark-coloured and dis- 

 agreeable. 



The darters, genus Plotds, resemble the cormorants 

 in the form of their body and feet, but are more slender, 

 and have a very elongated neck, with a small head, and a 

 straight, slender, and pointed bill. Like the cormorants, 

 they swim deep in the water, but with agility, and in div- 

 ing spring fairly out of it to plunge headlong after their 

 prey. They inhabit the warm countries of America. 



The black-bellied darter, Plotus melanogaster, Plate 

 CCCCII. fig. 1, is upwards of three feet long, of a dusky 

 colour, with the neck and back streaked with white. The 

 white-bellied darter, P. anhinga, is about the same size, 

 but has the lower parts white. It inhabits Brazil and 



Palmi- 

 pedes. 



Ornithological Biography. 



