CORMORANT AND SNAKE-BIRD 
287 
of all tourists who care for the sight of what Is 
called a “ pelicanery.” In winter, southern 
Texas is the haven for this bird, as well as for so 
many other swimming-birds. 
THE CORMORANT FAMILY. 
Phalacrocoracidae. 
The Cormorant 1 is to me a most uninter- 
esting bird. Month in and month out I have 
seen them perching, and perching, — on spar 
buoys in harbors, on mud-bank stakes, and on 
dead trees along shore and up stream. For days 
together have Cormorants fled up stream before 
my boat, yet never once have I seen a wild 
Cormorant do an interesting thing. Instead of 
getting out and hustling for fish, like the pelican, 
or taking delight in architecture, like the osprey, 
the Cormorant tiresomely perches, and waits, 
Micawber-like, for something to turn up. 
In captivity it does better. In our Flying- 
Cage pool, the Cormorants play with sticks, 
and dive for amusement, more than any other 
bird, except the brown pelican. In fact, it 
seems like a different creature from the wild 
bird. 
The Cormorant is, in general terms, a dull 
black bird, wholly devoid of colored plumage. 
Its range is given in the check list of the Ameri- 
can Ornithologists’ Union as "coasts of the North 
Atlantic, south in winter on the coast of the 
United States, casually, to the Carolinas.” It 
lives upon fish, and wanders inland much farther 
than might be supposed. 
The Double-Crested Cormorant 2 is the 
bird of the interior of the United States, from 
Texas northward into Manitoba, but also rang- 
ing to the Atlantic coast. Its color is glossy black. 
On the Pacific coast, from Washington to Alaska, 
is found the Pelagic Cormorant , 3 with an erect 
crest rising from its forehead, and by which 
this bird is easily recognized. 
Pallas’ Cormorant, which once inhabited the 
northern shore of Bering Sea, was the largest and 
handsomest bird of this Family. Its prevailing 
color was dark metallic-green, set off with blue 
and purple reflections. It was discovered by 
Bering in 1741, but is now quite extinct. 
1 Phal-a-cro-co'rax car'bo. Average length, 34 
inches. 
2 P. di-lo'phus. 3 P. pe-lag'i-cus. 
THE DARTER FAMILY. 
Anhingidae. 
The Snake-Bird, Darter, or Water -“Tur- 
key ,” 4 is a web-footed bird, with many pecul- 
iarities. Its most popular name — Snake-Bird 
— has been bestowed in recognition of the fact 
that in this bird the neck and head are so long 
and slender they suggest the body and head of 
a snake. When not in action, the head and upper 
neck are only an inch in diameter, yet so rub- 
ber-like is the skin I have seen a Darter swallow 
a mullet 8 inches long, and 14 inch in diameter — 
a truly snake-like stretch. Frequently when 
the head of a fish is in this bird’s crop, the tail 
fin will protrude from a corner of the mouth. 
The beak is like a Spanish dagger, and at all 
times is decidedly a dangerous weapon. One 
well-aimed stroke is enough to stab any or- 
dinary bird to death, or destroy an eye. In a 
cageful of Darters the presence of a quarrel- 
Drawn by Edmund J. Sawyer. 
SNAKE-BIRD. 
4 An-hin’ga an-liin'ga. Average length, 33 inches. 
