THE BIHDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 
6 ol 
192. Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo. 
Phalacrocomx carbo subcormoranus (Brehm). (Ornis, I, p. 42, 1824 — 
Holland). 
The Cormorant is a not uncommon winter visitor to the rivers and deeper 
floods or lakes, from Teki'it and Ramadi to Fao ; it is recorded from October to 
May, on the 18th of which month Buxton saw a few on the Hamar Lake, but 
found no evidence of its breeding there nor are there any records suggestive of 
its doing so in any part of our area. 
It moves about locally in winter, doubtless as food supply directs. Cheesman 
noted that a passing flock flying high were much terrified on meeting an aeroplane 
and scattered in all directions, quite a different behaviour to Storks under a 
similar circumstance. 
Four specimens obtained: 9 > Sheik Saad, 13-3-17 (Ingoldby) ; 9 > Amara, 
4-2-18, w. 334. B. 59 mm. ; 9> 4-2-18, wing 319, B. 61 mm. 9» Hamat 
Lake, 20-5-18., w. 340. B. 66 mm. (P. A. B.) 
These birds certainly belong to the smaller European- Asiatic race and not. tc 
our familiar form of the British Islands. 
•93- Pys?rny Cormorant. Phalacrocorax pygmseus. “El Echi.” 
Phalacrocorax pygmeeus (Pall). (Reise Prov. Russ. Reichs, ii, p. 712. 
1773 — Caspian Sea). 
Common and resident, breeding in some of the marshes and moving out locally 
to the rivers and other marshes in winter. Tomlinson received a number of 
eggs on May 15th, which had been taken by Arabs in the marshes near Ezra’s 
Tomb. An Arab, who knew the marsh birds well, told Logan Home that the 
Cormorants at Abu Aran in 1919 had nested in April. Pitman saw Cormorants 
probably of this species in the marshes near Museyib on June 12th, and Cheesman 
saw many on the Horr Sanaf at the end of March, but no one seems to have actu- 
ally come across a breeding colony, though probably many must exist in the 
Euphrates marshes and those to the east of Amara and Ezra’s Tomb ; Buxton 
obtained adults on the Hamar Lake on May 20th. 
Specimens examined : 9 > Horr Sanaf, 20-3-18 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.), 9 > 
Hamar Lake, 20-5-18; (two) 9 (Ezra’s Tomb, 23-12-18; (three) <^,Horr Hawaize, 
13-7-18 (P. A. B.). 
These all belong to the European form pygmeeus and not to the Indian java- 
nicus. The younger birds, in the brown dress, of javanicus never seem to have 
the white fllo-plumes on the flanks, rump, mantle and sides of neck which speci- 
mens of pygmeeus in similar state of plumage have. 
194. Shag. Phalacrocorax, sp. ? 
Several observers noted Shags in winter ; Buxton says he saw them several 
times in November and December near Amara, Meinertzhagen saw one at Tekiit 
which he says was a very old graculus ; no specimens were obtained and so it is 
impossible to say what these birds were. Stoneham too saw many on islands 
below Baiji, and particularly noted some with crests. 
The Common Shag (graculus) is entirely a west European bird and the Mediter- 
ranean Shag (desmarestii) is not certainly known east of the Grecian islands, 
while the Indian Shag (fuscicollis) is hardly known west of Sind so it would be of 
gicat interest to know what these birds in Mesopotamia really are. 
195. African Darter. Anhinga rufus. “Warda.” 
Anhinga rufus rufus (Lacep.) (Tab. Ois. Daudin, Buffon’s Hist. Nat. 
.xiv, p. 3i9, 1802). 
The Darter is common and resident in the huge marshes round Kurna and east 
of Amara and Ezra’s Tomb. Elsewhere we have no records of it. No one seems 
to have found it nesting but Tomlinson had a number of eggs brought to hini on 
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