The Common Cormorant is rarely seen farther south than the extreme limits of Maryland; but from Chesapeake Bay eastward, it becomes more plentiful; and in severe winters, I have seen it exposed for sale in the New York market. They are abundant in winter around the islands of the Bay of Boston, and on the coasts of Massachusetts and Maine, where most of them remain during autumn, winter, and the early part of spring, as well as on the Bay of Fundy and along the shores of Nova Scotia. I am unable to say how far north they go beyond Labrador, to breed, or what may be the limits of their range on the St Lawrence in autumn. I have never seen one on a tree, or on fresh water. The flesh of this species is dark, tough, and fishy, its eggs also do not furnish agreeable food, and it is seldom that either are eaten, even by epicures.
Pelecanus Carbo, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 216.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 886.
Phalacrocorax Carbo, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 402.
Cormorant, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 479.
Adult Male in March. Plate CCLXVI. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, somewhat compressed, straight, with the tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping and slightly concave, at the tip decurved, its ridge broad and rounded, and separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the sides erect, irregularly scaly, convex, the edges sharp and straight as far as the unguis, at the base a distinct horny plate, the unguis strong, convex above, incurved, acute. No external nostrils when full-grown. Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow towards the end, filled by an extensible membrane, which extends a short way down the throat, its short dorsal line a little convex, then concave, the sides scaly, erect, and slightly convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip compressed and obliquely truncate.
Head rather large, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and stout. Body rather 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 outer are subhexagonal. the inner transversely elongated, 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 strong, curved, compressed, acute, that of the third toe pectinated on its inner edge.
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. The middle feathers of the occiput and hind neck are elongated, and those of the head and upper neck are intermixed with numerous linear feathers of a different colour, and erectile at will. 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, third longest, second almost as long, first little shorter; secondaries decurved, broad, broadly rounded, the inner broad and shorter. Tail small, much rounded, of fourteen narrow, rounded feathers, having extremely long shafts.
Upper mandible greyish-black, along the edges yellowish-white; lower yellowish-white at the base, dusky towards the end. Iris light bluish-green, margins of eyelids dusky. Bare space about the eye dull olive, below it bright red, the gular sac yellow. Feet and claws greyish-black. All the silky part of the plumage is black, glossed with deep greenish-blue; at the base of the gular sac is a broad gorgelet of white, and the linear interspersed feathers over the head and upper neck are white, there is also a large parcel of elongated white feathers on the side over the thigh. The feathers of the wings and part of the back are dull bluish-grey glossed with bronze, their fringe-like margins greenish-black. Primary quills greyish-black, secondary like the other feathers of the wing. Tail greyish-black. The shafts of all the feathers are black at the end, leaden-grey towards the base.
Length to end of tail 37 inches, to end of claws 36; to end of wings 32; extent of wings 62; wing from flexure 14; tail 6 1/2; bill along the ridge 3 5/12, along the edge of lower mandible 4 2/12; tarsus 2 1/4; outer toe 3 7/12, its claw 6 1/2/12. Weight 7 1/2 lb.