A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.

  • George Montagu
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Cormorant. 1 See Connorant, Great Black. | Corvorant. Cormorant, Green. — See Con'oraut ami Sliag. Corncracker. j [Corncrake.] I See Comcreak, or Crek. j Gnllinulo Crake. Comdi’ake. J [Cornish Chongh.] ] See Cornish Daw. J Crow, Eedleggecl. Corvorant [Common. — Yarrell, iii. 484; Ilewitson, cxxx. 471.] A species of the Pelican genus, the characters of which are : Bill strong, strait, and either hooked or sloping at the point. Nostrils either want- ing or placed in a longitudinal furrow. Face naked. Gullet naked, capable of great distention. Toes four, aU webbed together. — Pehcanus Corho, Lin. Syst. i. p. 216, 3 ; Gmel. Syst. ii. p. 573 ; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 886,14. Coiwus aquaticus, Ravi Syn. p. 122, A. 3 ; Will. p. 248, t. 63. Le Cor- moran, Btif. viii. p. 310, t. 26. Cormorant, Will. Angl. p. 329, t. 63; Alhin, ii. t. 81. Corvorant, Br. Zool. ii. No. 291; Ih. fol. 159, t. I. 1; Lath. Syn. vi. p. 593, 13; Lewin, Br. Birds, vii. t. 263 ; Wale. S7jn. i. t. 92; Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 21; Bewick, Br. Birds, 11, t. p. 381. Crested Corvorant, Id. 11, t. p. 388. Phalaorocorax, Bris. vi. p. 511, 1, t. 45 ; Lb. 8vo, ii. p. 495. Pro- vincial; Sea Crow; Great Black Corvorant; Cole Goose ; Skaid; Green Cormorant; Brougie ; Norie. — The Coiworant is sub- ject to much variety, both in size and colour. The specimen from which the fol- lowing description is taken was the largest we ever saw. It weighed eight pounds; length three- feet three inches ; breadth four feet eleven inches; the length of the bill five inches, hooked at the point; irides green. The chin, and round the base of the hill to the eyes, bare and yeUow; the head and neck black; hack greenish black, glossed with purple, each feather bordered with fine deep black; scapulars and coverts of the wings the same, dashed -with ash- colour; the whole under parts black, ex- cept a small patch of white on the throat; quills dusky black; the tail is rounded, and consists of fourteen feathers, which is the great characteristic distinction of this species from the Shag. We have seen twenty or thirty Corvorants together: in some the upper parts are dusky, dashed over with ash-colour; the under parts of the neck and breast light brown; the belly dirty white ; in some the feathers of the head are a little elongated, forming a short pendant crest, and a patch of wliito on the thighs. This vaiiety of marldngs ore, per- haps, common to this species, without any regard to age or sex. Wo have, however, upon dissection, generally found the fe- males lightest coloured. The Corvorant breeds on most of our rocky coasts, some- times in consort mth the Shag. We have seen, on the coast of Wales, an insulated rock covered with their nests, which are composed of sticks and sea-weed. The eggs are generally three in number, colour white, weight about two ounces. It fre- quently builds on the very summit of the highest rocks impending the sea; the Shag rarely so liigh. In the winter it is frequently found in fresh-water rivers, at a considerable distance from the sea. We have seen eight or ten together far up the river Usk, perched upon a tree. The Shag is never observed to quit the neighbour- hood of the sea. It is a great desti’oyer of fish; and by frequent diving the wings become so wet as to incapacitate its flying, when it walks out of the water, and ex- tends the wings to the Avind in order to dry them. It is said this bird has been ti'ained and used for fishing, in the man- ner hawks have for fowKng ; and in order to prevent their swallowing the prey, a collar was put round the neck. Supplement. — Difierent opinions stUl exist amongst naturalists with respect to the crested Corvorant and crested Shag; some maintaining the opinion that they are distinct from the conunon species, while others consider them as only va- rieties of those two species. We are, how- ever, enabled to clear up this matter beyond all dispute, proving by inconti’o- vertible facts that the crested Coiworant is no other than a variety of the common species. One of these birds was shot in the river Avon, in Devonshii’e, and pre- sented to us by a valuable friend and scientific ornithologist (the Rev. Mr. Vaughan), on the 27th of February, 1805. The length of this bird (now in our mu- seum) is three feet: the weight six pounds one ounce : and upon dissection proved to he a female, made pai’ticulaiiy evident by four of the ova being considerably en- larged. In the beginning of Apial, in the year 1808, another of these birds was taken alive, near Bridgewater, and sent to us by our friend Mr. Anstice, of that place. These two bii-ds were so exactly similar that the foUoiving description is equally applicable. The bill about four inches and a quarter in length from tlie gape, dusky above, the base of the under mandible whitish ; irides green : the hare skin un- der the hill and chin dusky speckled with yellow: under the eye a bare sub-trian- gular spot of bright yellow, taking in the bill at the corner of the mouth, and finishing the angle on the lower mandible: from
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