178 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
Order STEGANOPODES.
Family PELECANIDAE.
Cormorant: Phalacrocorax carbo.
A common visitor to our coasts and estuaries from autumn to
spring, but never met with inland in Essex, except occasionally,
when blown there by severe
storms : for instance, Edward
Doubleday, in 1835, mentions
(15) its having been killed at
Harlow.
They are not uncommon off Leigh
(Sackett). At Harwich a few are seen
every year (Kerry), Two were seen
on Canvey Island on Sept. 15th, 1882
(Bird). Mr. Hope writes that they
" come south in August and Septem-
ber ; very common on the Main ; a
large number can always be seen on
the Buxey Beacon."
Shag: Phalacrocorax graculus.
An uncommon winter visitor to the coast.
Sheppard and Whitear mention one (9. 59) which they saw " at a distance,
swimming prodigiously fast " on the River Stour on September 30th, 1820.
Gannet: Sula bassana. Locally, " Solan Goose."
A fairly-common bird on the coast from autumn to spring, but
it has no breeding-station in Essex. Alter severe storms in winter, it
is sometimes found in an ex-
hausted state far inland.
Mr. C. Walford says (19. 58) that
about 1830 one was "picked up in the
snow at Terling, from which it appeared
that it could not rise." Mr. Clarke
mentions (24) the occurrence of imma-
ture specimens at Ashdon in 1832, and
at Saffron Walden in 1844 respectively.
Both are (or were) in the Walden
Museum, while in the Audley End
Collection is a specimen obtained at