Identifier: cu31924001916372 (find matches)
Title: Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and Lower California, with which are incorporated general ornithology: an outline of the structure and classification of birds; and field ornithology, a manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving birds
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Coues, Elliott, 1842-1899
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: Boston, Estes and Lauriat
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ain details. Excepting afew speckled species, aud■some other! that are largely white below,the plumage is glossy or lustrous black, oftenhjghlj indesuent with green, purple, and violettints, commonly uniform on the head, neck, andunder parts, but on the back and wing-coverts,where the feathers are sharp-edged and distinct,the shade is more apt to be coppery or bronzy, each feather with well-defined darker border.This concerns, however, only the adult plumage, which is the same in both sexes; the youngare plain brownish or blackish. The Cormorants have other special featherings, generally ofa temporary character, assumed at the breeding season and lost soon after; these are curious Fig. 503. — The neflt of the Cormorant (P. 6icrt«-tatus). (Designed by H. W. Elliot.) PHALA CBOCOBA CIDM: CORMORANTS. 12b long filamentous feathers (considered by Nitzsch filoplumaceous), on the head and neck, andeven, m some cases, on the upper and under parts too. These feathers are commonly white, as
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s i is also a large silky flank-patch acquired by severalspecies. Many Cormorants are also crested withordinary long slender feathers; the crest is oftendouble, and when so, the two crests may be eitherone on each side of the head, or they may followeach other on the middle line of the hind headand nape. Our species illustrate all these variousfeatherings. The naked parts about the headvary with the species and afford good characters. Fig bob —Skull of Fhalacrocorax bicristatus, showing sto. occipital style or nuchal bone; nat. size. (Fromnature by Dr. B. W. Shufeldt. The style is somewhat tilted upward from its natural position.) 726 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — STEGANOPODES. especially considering the shape of the pouch; the skin is usually brightly colored, and some-times caruncnlate. The eyes, as a rule, are green — a color not common among birds. Thesebirds are highly psilopaedic as well as altricial; the young are for some time blind, naked, andperfectly helpless. Twenty-five sp

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