4 ( h-der J'fler'ntiidnnes, Fuihily Phidacroroniriditf:, (renus Hypolev.<-iis 



had previously been noticed there. A landrail with a brood 

 of five black chicks had also been seen; also a button quail. 

 The remainder of the evening was taken up by an interesting 

 account by Dr. A. M. Morgan of a trip taken by him to the 

 South-east in Octobei- last. He gave a description of the 

 country and birds seen, and collected and exhibited a series 

 of fine sjieciniens, two Nry/co/'»/.s and \('(nia nodes chri/sognster 

 anniniui being of sjiccial interest. As many members in- 

 tended to be out of town during the Christmas holidays it was 

 decided not to hold a meeting in December. 



Order Pclecaniformes, Family Phalacrocoracidae, 

 Genus Hypoleucus. 



Hypoleucus varius liypoleuciis — Pied Cormorant. 



Description — Top of the head, back of neck, back, flanks, 

 tail coverts, deep glossy black; wings, deep greenish black; 

 primaries and tail same colour; all the undersurface pure 

 white; iris, sea green; bare space in front of eye, orange; bare 

 space round eye. blue; lower eyelid, metallic green; gular 

 pouch, flesh colour; bill, black; tip, horn colour; legs, feet and 

 nails, black. Total length in the flesh, 32 inches; wing from 

 body to tip, 22 inches; spread of wings, 49 inches. 



Distribution — South and south-west Australia, New 

 'South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. 



Habits — Found mostly on the coast line, and frequenting 

 the mangrove creeks and swamps along the coast; yet they are 

 met with a1 times on rivers and fresh water lakes great dis- 

 tance inland. They form large rookeries when nesting, and 

 place their nests in mangrove trees or on the tops of low 

 bushes. 



Flight — Heavy, with rapid motion of the wings. 



Food — Consists of fish and Crustacea, from research work 

 carried out it has been proved that these birds only feed upon 

 ■the slow swimming fish such as weed fish (Odax), cat fish 

 Wnidofjlamis megastomus), toad fish, and box fish. Upon 

 rivers and hikes tlie fresh water yabbie foriiis the greater pari 

 of their food, and young turtles are devoured. 



Nest. — They nest in colonies, sometimes several thousand 

 pairs together. The nest is substantiallv built of sticks gene- 

 rally of mangrove or samphire, some of which they break off 

 for themselves; it is phiced in the fork of n bush usually a man- 



