(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].
[3] Namely, _P. imperialis_, King, and _P. albiventris_ (Lesson). See
Zool. Chall., Birds, p. 121. It was probably one of these two species
that Durnford found nesting on Tombo Point, south of Chupat (_cf._
Ibis, 1878, p. 399).
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.
Order IX. HERODIONES.
Fam. XXXV. ARDEIDÆ, or HERONS.
About thirty different species of the fish-eating family Ardeidæ occur
within the limits of the Neotropical Region. Of these, eight or nine are
found in greater or less abundance in the provinces of the Argentine
Republic. Five of these species are widely distributed in North and
South America; the others are restricted to the southern portions of the
New World.