One Cormorant only has yet been positively determined as occurring within the Argentina area.
[314.] PHALACROCORAX BRASILIANUS (Gm.).
(BRAZILIAN CORMORANT.)
Phalacrocorax brasilianus, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 124; iid. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 146 (Buenos Ayres); Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 188 (Buenos Ayres), et 1878, p. 399 (Patagonia); White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 624 (Buenos Ayres); Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 270 (Entrerios). Haliæus brasilianus, Burm. Syst. Ueb. iii. p. 460; id. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 520 (Rio Paraná).
Description.—Black; feathers edged with metallic green; bill and naked skin of the face yellow: whole length 30·0 inches, wing 12·0, tail 6·0. Female similar. Young brown; chin and cheeks whitish; neck greyish, with the tips of the feathers black; breast white, with blackish-brown mottlings; belly black.
Hab. Sea-coasts and inland waters of Central and South America.
This appears to be the only Cormorant met with on the coasts and inland waters of South America north of Buenos Ayres; but two other species are found in Southern Chili and Patagonia, which may probably likewise occur in the southern provinces of the Republic[3].
Azara tells us that this Cormorant is not uncommon in Paraguay, and Mr. Barrows found it an “abundant resident” at Concepcion in Entrerios.
In the vicinity of Buenos Ayres several well-known authorities have met with it, and Durnford found it common and resident in Chupat.
The name of Brazilian Cormorant, which naturalists have bestowed on this species, is certainly inappropriate and misleading, since the bird is very abundant in La Plata, where the native name for it is Viguá; and it is also very common in the Patagonian rivers. It is always seen swimming, sinking its heavy body lower and lower down in the water when approached, until only the slanting snake-like head and neck are visible; or else sitting on the bank, or on a dead projecting branch, erect, and with raised beak, and never moving from its statuesque attitude until forced to fly. It always rises reluctantly and with great labour, and has a straight rapid flight, the wings beating incessantly. By day it is a silent bird, but when many individuals congregate to roost on the branches of a dead tree overhanging the water they keep up a concert of deep, harsh, powerful notes all night long, which would cause any person not acquainted with their language to imagine that numerous pigs or peccaries were moving about with incessant gruntings in his neighbourhood.