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L IT T L E CORMORANT.
Carbo pygmæus, Tevnm.
Le Cormoran pygmée.
T his species, although termed pygmæus, is very far from being the least of its genus ; still it is much less than
any other of its European relatives. It is the eastern portion of Europe alone which constitutes its true
habitat, being very common in some parts of Hungary, and especially along the borders of the lower Danube :
it is more rare in Austria, and is seldom seen in Germany. From the tracts it frequents in Europe, we are
naturally led to expect that it is distributed over the adjacent portion of Asia, and we learn that it is found
in great numbers in Asiatic Russia.
In the periodical changes of its plumage, and also in the changes which occur in its progress from youth
to maturity, it strictly resembles the Common Cormorant ; the birds of the first year having the usual brown
tint pervading the upper surface, and the mottled greyish white on the chest and lower parts : as they
advance to maturity this dress give place to a more decided and glossy plumage of jet black and grey.
At the pairing-season, like the Common Cormorant, it becomes temporarily decorated with numerous
fine linear feathers, o f a white colour, on the sides of the head, neck, and thighs. Although we have every
reason to believe that both sexes participate in this change, we cannot positively assert that this is the
case.
The adult male in summer has the whole of the plumage of a glossy greenish black ; each feather of the
back and wings margined with black ; neck, head, and thighs ornamented with fine filamentous white feathers ;
the rest of the plumage black.
The winter dress resembles that of summer, except that the fine white feathers on the head, neck, and
thighs are entirely wanting.
The Plate represents a male of the natural size, undergoing the change from winter to summer.