( 409 ) 



had a wholesome fear of the cormorants' beaks. One cormorant was seen 

 climbing up on a rock among a number of iguanas, pecking and squawking at 

 them. 



Mr. Green obtained a series on tlie coast of Narborough Island. " Eyes 

 olive green ; eyes green." 



The adult female does not seem to dilfer from the male. If the plumage is 

 worn, the tips of the wings are very jiale. Several birds marked " females " by 

 Green do not differ from the males, but they are evidently wrongly sexed, as the 

 females sent by Beck are considerably smaller. Bill, from frontal feathering to 

 tip, 73 to 75 mm. (instead of SU to 88 mm. in tlie male). "Wing IT.j to ls5 mm. 

 (instead of 190 to 200 mm. in the male). Tail about lAO to 105 mm. (about 

 180 mm. in males, but the tails get evidently worn in the rocks to snch an extent 

 as to be unfit for proper measuring). Tarsus, 00 mm. (70 mm. in the male). 



AVhen giving measurements in Nov. Zool. 1899 p. 180 we had liefore us four 

 skins, of which three were sexed males, one " ? ? ". The latter is evidently ajemale, 

 and our smaller measurements referred to that specimen. 



Several of our skins, collected in April by Beck and in August by Green, have 

 the uudersurface much lighter, almost brownish white. One is inclined to consider 

 these as immature individuals, but the presence of narrow white filaments on the 

 sides of the head and neck, which in other Cormorants are a nuptial ornament of 

 adult birds only, contradict their being younger birds. 



(ireen took thirteen eggs of this Cormorant. Unfortunately no notes reached 

 us concerning the number in one nest. They nest on the rocks, like other 

 Cormorants. The eggs are also similar, and rather small for the size of the bird. 

 They have a very ligbt sea-green or bluish-green shell, covered with an irregularly 

 thick layer of chalk, like eggs of other species of the genus Phaluerocorax, and 

 measure 70-5 x 42-5, 69-5x42, 08x41-5, 08ox4], 72-5 x 41-8, 68 x 42, 71-6 x 41-5, 

 63-5 X 40, 62-8 x 43-5, 68-8 x 43-6, 03-6 x 41-5, 66-7 x 41-4, 64-5 x 42 mm. 



Mr. Beck sent a number of skeletons. They are remarkable for the total 

 absence of a keel on the sternum, so that the latter resembles that of the Ratitae. 

 A treatise on the structure and osteology of Plialacrocorux liarrisi by Dr. Gadow 

 will be found above.. 



Phaethon aethereus L. 



Nov. Zool. VI, 1899, p. 180. 



Mr. Green sent us a number from Wenmau Island and Hood, while Mr. Beck 

 found it breeding in enormous numbers on Daphne Island. The young in down is 

 apparently not distinguishable from that of P. nibricauda (cf. Rothschild, Arifauna 

 of Laysun etc., p. 294), unless the bills are lighter, brownish instead of deep 

 blackish-brown. This ajipears to be the case from our skins. The young in first 

 plumage after the downy state have the middle of the crown white, not siwtted with 

 black as in P. rubricauda, the black bases to the feathers being much narrower, the 

 white tips much wider. The bars on the upperside are narrower than in the young 

 of P. rahrkaada, especially on the interscapnlium. Mr. Beck writes about this 

 species : — 



" PhaHhon aethereus was found to be common on Daphne Island, many nests 

 being found on April 5th containing eggs and young birds. Young birds were of 

 all ages, three or four nearly ready to fly. The young, as they leave the nest, are 



