The Cokmokajjt. BIRDS. The Tropic Bird. 
io2 
themselves to be stroked by the hand as tliey sit upon 
their nests. 
THE CORMORANT {PhdlacroCorax Carho). — The 
Cormorants constitute an exceedingly numerous group 
of birds, including species scattered in all parts of 
the world, and frequenting indifferently salt and fresh 
water. They have a rather long, nearly straight, 
compressed bill, with the upper mandible strongly 
hooked at the tip, but destitute of the pouch char- 
acteristic of the Pelicans ; the face and upper part 
of the throat are naked, and the latter is capable of 
much dilatation, so as to serve as a receptacle for their 
prey. 
The Common Cormorant is a large bird, measuring 
about three feet in total length. It is of a black colour 
beneath, and dark-brown above, with the margins of 
the feathers black ; on each thigh there is a white 
patch ; the naked skin of the face and throat is yel- 
low, bordered with white. In the spring and summer 
the feathers of the back of the head are elongated, 
forming a sort of crest, and the head and neck bear 
numerous slender white feathers. 
This bird is abundant on the British coasts, where 
it breeds on the elevated ledges of lofty cliffs, making 
a large nest of grass and sea-weeds, in which the 
female lays from four to six eggs. The Cormorant 
flies well, and, unlike the preceding species, swims 
rapidly, and dives with facility in pursuit of its slippery 
prey, in securing which the hooked point of the upper 
mandible is of the greatest service to it. It is widely 
distributed in the Old World, extending from this 
country to China. 
THE FISHING CORMORANT {Phalacrocorax sinen- 
sis), a native of Northern India and China, is trained 
by the Chinese to the business of fishing, for which 
our British species was formerlj'- employed. The 
Chinese species is taken to the water with a leather 
thong or metal ring round his neck to prevent his 
swallowing the fish, and carried in a small boat to the 
fishing stafion. Each boat carries several cormorants, 
which descend from it into the water at the word of 
command, dive down in pursuit of the fishes, and on 
making a capture bring their prey to their master with 
the greatest docility. If one of them gets hold of a 
fish too large for his strength, the others will come to 
his assistance, and between them the struggling prey 
is conveyed to the boat. A second British species of 
this genus is the Shag or Green Cormorant (P. 
graculus), which ranges as far south as the Cape of 
Good Hope. 
THE FRIGATE BIRD {Tachypetes aquilus). — This 
bird is distinguished by having the tips of both 
mandibles bent downwards, by the enormous length 
of its wings, which are larger in proportion to 
its size than in any other bird, and by the small 
size of its feet, of which the toes are only partially 
united by a web. The Frigate Bird is abundant on 
the Atlantic shores of both America and Africa ; it 
passes nearly its whole life in the air, through which it 
darts with incredible swiftness, or sails along with out- 
stretched pinions at a considerable height, looking out 
for its prey, on which it descends with lightning-like 
rapidity and the most unerring precision. Not con- 
tent with the produce of his own fishing, however, he 
often acts the part of a pirate, attacking other marine 
birds, and compelling them to disgorge their booty. 
The Frigate Bird is said to build its nest upon trees. 
LE VAILLANT’S DARTER {Plottis Le Vaillantii).— 
The name of Darters is given to a few species of birds 
inhabiting the tropical regions of both continents, and 
distinguished by the elongated form of their bodies, 
their long and slender necks, and elongated pointed 
mandibles. In most respects they resemble the Cor- 
morants, and, like some of these, frequent fresh waters, 
haunting the margins of lakes and rivers. They are 
said frequently to perch upon the branch of a tree over- 
hanging the water, and there to watch for the appear- 
ance of a fish, upon which they immediately dart down. 
When disturbed, they slip into the water with so little 
effort, that they produce scarcely more agitation of the 
surface than might be caused by an eel. They nidi- 
ficate on the branches of trees. The species figured, 
Le Vaillant’s Darter, is a common species in Southern 
Africa, where it is known under the name of the 
Schlanghalsvogel or Snahe-neclced bird. 
THE COMMON TROPIC BIRD {Phaeton ccihereus), 
although nearly related to the Darters, is essentially 
oceanic in its mode of life, passing its whole exist- 
ence in almost incessant activity over the waves of 
the tropical ocean. It is from the fact that this 
bird and its allies are rarely seen beyond the 
tropics, that their oi’dinary name is derived ; they are 
also known under the name of Paille-en-queue or 
Straw-tail, in allusion to the two long and slender 
feathers which they bear in their tails. These feathers 
in the present species are of a pale-yellow or whitish 
colour. Notwithstanding the distances to which it 
flies over the open sea, this bird is said to return every 
night to roost upon dry land ; its food consists entirely 
offish, and it breeds, like most of its tribe, upon the 
rocks of the tropical shores or upon the scattered islands 
of the ocean. Another well-known species is the 
Red-tailed Tropic Bird (P. plmnicurus), which hae 
the elongated feathers of the tail red. 
