396 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Order STEGANOPODES. 



At once recognizable by a]l four toes being connected by webs. 

 This order contains Cormorants, Shags, Darters, Pelicans, Gannets, 

 Frigate -Birds, and Tropic -Birds, latter rather different from the 

 other genera. Skull desmognathous and holorhinal. No basi- 

 pterygoid processes. Tongue rather rudimentary. Oil-gland 

 tufted. Aquintocubital. No aftersKaft, or very tiny ones. Tarsus 

 short. Young blind when hatched, remain long in nest. Eggs as 

 a rule unspotted, covered with chalky layer ; eggs of Tropic-Birds, 

 however, spotted and without distinct chalk covering. 



Family PHALACROCORACID.E. 



Containing Cormorants, Shags, and Darters, latter generally 

 separated as a sub -family. Cormorants and Shags have a long bill 

 laterally compressed, with rounded culmen and strongly hooked 

 tip, along the sides a linear groove ; nostrils completely closed in 

 adults. Wings moderately long or short. Tail rounded, 12 to 14 

 rectrices. Under body-feathers short, soft down. One genus, 

 unless Galapagos Islands species with rudimentary wings, is 

 admitted as a special genus. Chiefly tropical countries, south to 

 islands near New Zealand and 7 (formerly 8) species with several 

 subspecies in Palsearctic region. 



Genus PHALACROCORAX Briss. 



Phalacrocorax Brisson, Orn., i, p. 60 (1760 — Type according to Orn., 

 vi, p. 511, " Phalacrocorax " = Pelecanus carbo L.). 



See characters under family Phalacrocoracidce. Nearly 40 

 species, 2 British. 



PHALACROCORAX CARBO 



329. Phalacrocorax carbo carbo (L.)— THE CORMORANT. 



Pelecantjs Carbo Linnseus, Syst. Nat,, ed. x, i, p. 133 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : North Scandinavia). 



Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnseus), Yarrell, iv, p. 143 ; Saunders, p. 361. 



Description — Adult male and female. Winter. — Whole crown and 

 back of neck black, glossed metallic-blue with slight tinge of brown ; 

 feathers in centre of nape pointed and very slightly elongated ; centre 

 of mantle, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts black, glossed metallic- 

 blue ; sides of mantle, scapulars and wing-coverts bronze-brown, 

 each feather evenly bordered glossy-blue ; sides of head and chin 

 brownish-white, feathers white, tipped varying amount of pale 

 brown ; upper part of throat and sides of neck dark brown mottled 

 whitish and with mixture of blue-black, feathers being white, tipped 

 brown with varying amount of blue -black ; lower -throat and rest 

 of under-parts black, glossed blue ; tail-feathers black with lead- 

 blue shafts ; primaries black, secondaries with outer webs greyish- 

 bronze and feathers narrowly outlined black ; wing-coverts as 



