Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/362

358 CORMENIN CORMORANT the Saracens in 840, afterward long occupied and fortified by the Normans, and in 1237 given by the emperor Frederick II. to a colony of Lombards, who took an active part in the insurrection of the Sicilian vespers, and in 1302 repelled an assault by Charles of Valois. CORMENIN, Louis Marie de la Haie, viscount de, a French politician, born in Paris, Jan. 6, 1788, died May 6, 1868. Admitted to the bar in 1808, he was two years later appointed by the emperor auditor in the council of state. On the restoration he joined the royalists, was promoted to the office of master of requests, was faithful to the Bourbons during the hun- dred days, and resumed his situation on their second return. He now published several le- gal treatises, the most important of which has passed through several editions under the title of Droit administratif ; and in return he re- ceived the title of baron, and afterward of vis- count. In 1826 he joined the liberal party, was elected to the chamber of deputies in 1828, acted with the opposition, opposed the election of Louis Philippe in 1830, and after it re- fused a seat in the new council of state, and resigned his place in the chamber of deputies. He was reflected, however, from the depart- ment of Ain. In 1831 he was elected simulta- neously by four electoral districts, and in 1834 reflected for Joigny and another district, and choosing Joigny represented it until the session before the last of the old chamber. He wrote several political pamphlets of great influence, among them one which killed the bill demand- ing an apanage for the duke de Nemours, and, under the nom de plume of "Timon/' several brilliant sketches of political charac- ters, which were republished in a volume called the Livre des orateurs (translated into English, New York, 1847). In 1845 and 1846 he wrote two pamphlets on the ultramon- tane controversy, which impaired his popular- ity. He was a champion of universal suffrage, and after the revolution of 1848 was chosen to the constituent assembly by four electoral dis- tricts, was made chairman of the committee on the constitution, and had a large share in framing the republican constitution of 1848. On the coup d'etat of Dec. 2 he denounced its author, but afterward accepted a seat in the new council of state. He was the originator of several institutions of charity and benevo- lence. Besides his law books and pamphlets, M. Cormenin published fitudes sur les orateurs parlementaires (1838; 15th ed., 1847); En- tretiens de milage (1846), which reached six editions in the first year, and of which a part appeared in 1856 under the title of Dialogues de maitre Pierre, and gained a prize ; and Le droit de tonnage en Algerie (1866). CORMONTAIGNE, Louis de, a French military engineer, born about 1695, died Oct. 20, 1752. He entered the corps of engineers in 1713. Between 1734 and 1744 he directed the sieges of Trarbach, Philippsburg, Menin, Ypres, La Knoque, Fnrnes, and Freiburg. He waa after- ward employed in surveying the fortifications of France, and in superintending the erection of new works at Strasburg, Metz, Bitsch, and Thionville. He attained the rank of marechal- de-camp, and was the author of improvements on Vauban's system of fortification. CORMORANT (Fr. cormorari), a web-footed bird of the order natatores, family phalacro- coracida, and genus graculus (Linn.) ; other synonymes are phalacrocorax of Brisson, and carbo of Lacepede. The French and English name is supposed to be a corruption of the Latin corpus marinus (sea raven), given on account of the black color. The bill is mode- rate, slender, straight, with the culm en con- cave, and suddenly hooked at the tip ; the sides compressed and grooved; wings mode- rate and pointed ; tail rather short and rounded at the end ; toes long, the outer rather longer than the middle, and all four united by a full web ; the base of the lower mandible with a coriaceous pouch capable of extension. There are about 30 species described, inhabiting every part of the world, living in large flocks on the Common Cormorant (Graculus carbo). seacoast and small islands, and sometimes visit- ing inland lakes and rivers. They feed exclu- sively on fish, which they catch dexterously and devour voraciously, without discrimination as to species ; hence this bird has become the emblem of gluttony. They are excellent di- vers, flying and swimming under water, and remaining submerged for a long time. The nest is made of seaweed, grasses, and coarse materials, heaped to a considerable height, and placed on inaccessible rocks or ledges and trees ; the eggs are from three to five, long and narrow, of a light greenish and sometimes al- most white tint. The common cormorant (0. carbo, Linn.), which may be taken as the type of the genus, has a large oblong head, long and stout neck, with a full body ; feet short, strong, and placed far behind. The plumage of the head, neck, lower parts, and lower back is glossy, blended, and silky, and on the upper back and wings compact with loose glossy margins; on the back of the head and neck the middle feathers are elongated, and some of