CORMORANT (phalocrocorar; Fr. cormorant; Ital. corvo marino; Bret. morcrau, a sea-crow; Welsh, mor, sea, and brau, a crow), a genus of web-footed birds of the family pelecanidce, or tot4palmati, having, like the rest of that family, the hind-toe united in a single membrane with the other toes; and also characterized by a bare dilatable mem brane beneath the lower mandible, extending to the upper part of the throat, but not forming a great sac on the throat, as in the pelicans; a compressed bill, rounded above, and with a strong hook at the point of the upper mandible; the nostrils linear, and seemingly impervious to air; the claw of the middle toe serrated, apparently in order that it may be used in trimming the plumage; the wings of moderate length; the tail feathers stiff and rigid, and used to aid in walking or climbing. The species are dis tributed over the coasts of most parts of the world, some of them occasionally ascend ing rivers in pursuit of fish, on which all of them exclusively live, and even visiting inland lakes. They are proverbial for their excessive voracity. They do not take their prey by diving when on wing, but pursue it by swimming and diving, using their wings in progress under water, and descend to a wonderful depth; the smaller of the two Brit ish species has been caught in a crab-pot fastened 120 ft. under water. When the prey has been caught in a manner inconvenient for swallowing, they toss it in the air, and adroitly catch it as it descends. Some of the species frequent high rocks, others low
islands, on which they make rude nests, chiefly of sea-weed; some perch and even build their nests on mangroves and other trees. Their eggs are covered with a calcareous incrustation. The flesh of all the species is dark and of a fishy taste, but is sometimes used as food, particularly that of young birds. The British species are the common C. (P. carboy, which is mostly of a black color, but for a short time during the breeding season exhibits a sprinkling of longish white, almost bristly feathers on the head and hack of the neck; and the green C. or shag (P. graculas), which is of smaller size, and of a prevailing dark-green colir. The common C. is about 83 in. long. It is a very widely distributed species. It was formerly sometimes tamed in England, to be employed in catching fish, and is still trained to this use in China.
CORN (Ger. korn) meant primarily any small, round, hard body, like a seed. This general meaning is still seen in its application to concretions on the feet. It is allied to the Lat. granola, grain; and to Ger. kern, kernel. As usually applied, C. is a generic name for all seeds used in making bread, especially the seeds of cerealia. But it has also a specific sense, and denotes in any country that grain which furnishes the preva lent breadstuff of the people. Thus, in England, C. means wheat; in America, it means maize; and in Scotland, oats.