138 
THE DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. 
incurved, acute. No external nostrils. Lower mandible with the angle 
long and very narrow towards the end, filled by an extensive membrane, 
which extends a short way down the throat, its dorsal line a little convex, 
the sides erect and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip com- 
pressed and obliquely truncate. 
Head rather small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and rather 
slender. Body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed far behind ; tibia 
feathered in its whole length ; tarsus very short, strong, much compressed, 
covered all round with scales, of which the anterior and lateral are large 
and sub-hexagonal, the posterior very small and roundish. Toes all placed 
in the same plane, and connected by reticulated webs, covered above with 
very numerous oblique scutella ; first toe smallest, fourth longest. Claws 
rather small, strong, compressed, acute. 
Plumage of the head, neck, lower parts and posterior portion of the back 
glossy, blended and silky, of the fore part of the back and wings compact, 
the feathers with loose glossy margins. From behind the eye to the length 
of an inch -and a half on each side, an elongated tuft of long slender, loose 
recurved feathers. Space around the eye, and to a large extent along the 
base of the bill, together with the small gular sac, bare. Wings rather small; 
primaries very strong, curved, rather narrow, tapering and obtuse, second 
longest, third almost equal, first longer than fourth ; secondaries decurved, 
broad, broadly rounded, the inner narrower. Tail of moderate length, very 
narrow, much rounded or cuneate, of twelve narrow, rounded feathers, 
having extremely strong shafts. 
Upper rfiandible dusky, along the edges greyish-yellow; lower yellow, 
irregularly marked with dusky towards the edges. Iris bright green, margin 
of eyelids, bare space on the head, and gular sac, rich orange. Feet and 
claws black. All the silky part of the plumage is greenish-black, at a dis- 
tance appearing black, but at hand in a strong light green. The imbricated 
feathers of the back and wings greyish-brown, their fringe-like margins 
greenish-black ; primary quills brownish-black ; secondary like the other 
feathers of the wing. Tail black, the shafts of all the feathers black. 
Length to end of tail 33 inches, to end of wings 29, to end of claws 33 ; 
extent of wings 51; wing from flexure 13 ; tail 61 ; bill along the back 2-,- 8 2, 
along the edge of lower mandible 3 T 8 2 ; tarsus 2 T 7 2- ; outer toe 31, its claw 
t 4 |. Weight 5 lbs. 7 oz. 
The Female is somewhat smaller, but in other respects is similar to the 
male. 
The Young, after the first moult, have the head and neck mottled with 
greenish-black and greyish-brown ; the other parts as in the adult, but the 
tufts on the head wanting. 
