132 
THE COMMON CORMORANT. 
have no external nares in any stage, and although some state that in the 
adult they exist, and are extremely small, others allege that there are none 
at all. 
A young female, shot in the end of October, on being carefully examined, 
was found to present the following characters. 
The length to the end of the tail was 36 inches, to the end of the wings 
291, to the end of the outer toe 34J; the extent of the wings 55; the weight 
5 lbs. 10£ oz. 
Bill along the ridge and unguis black, the sides brownish-grey; the lower 
mandible brownish-grey, dusky on the sides at the middle, the bare skin at 
the base yellow, as is the gular sac. Upper part of the head and hind neck 
brownish-black ; the back greenish-black, its fore part, the scapulars and the 
wing-coverts brownish-grey, the feathers edged with greenish-black, and an 
outer margin of brownish- white, most conspicuous on the secondary coverts; 
the quills brownish-black, the secondaries tinged with grey on the outer 
edge; the tail greyish-black, the shafts greyish-blue. Upper part of the 
throat brownish-white ; the rest of the neck greyish- white,, mixed with 
brown ; the breast and abdomen white, the sides greenish-black ; the lower 
surface of the wings dusky ; the lower tail-coverts greyish-brown, the 
feathers before them brownish-black. The feet greyish-black ; the inner 
edge of the middle claws very slightly pectinated. The foot, when stretched 
to its full extent, measures, from the tip of the first to that of the fourth 
claw, 5}f inches. 
The tongue is oblong, carinate above, T \ long, fV broad. The palatal slit 
or aperture of the posterior nares is linear, 1 T 2 2 long, with a soft flap on each 
side. The mouth is l r S 2 wide; the bill 3i along the back, 4 along the edge 
of lower mandible. The aperture of the ear is circular, only half a line 
in diameter. 
On blowing into the posterior nares no air passes. The internal cavities 
are separated by a longitudinal membranous dissepiment; each cavity is 
transversely divided by a membranous partition, but neither of the chambers 
thus formed has any external communication by the mandible. The 
lachrymal duct, which is wide, passes obliquely forward and downward into 
the anterior cavity. On gradually slicing the horny covering of the man- 
dible over the place where the nostril ought to be, its position is found 
clearly defined, there being a slight discontinuity of the bone at that part; 
but on cutting farther all traces disappear, the original aperture being closed 
by ossification. 
The aperture of the glottis has thick prominent rounded edges, which 
unite behind and terminate in three knobs, and there is a small transverse 
flap on each side behind. 
