CEYLON WATER BIRDS. 293 
Immature birds have the top of the head and neck finely 
- streaked with rather lighter brown ; the middle of the throat, 
the breast, and the middle of the abdomen are white, which 
becomes increasingly streaked with black until the full adult 
plumage is attained. Bill dark on the upper mandible and 
on the tip of the lower, remainder pale ; iris green ; naked 
skin round the eye dusky yellow, on the throat bright yellow 
spotted with black ; legs and feet black. 
Length 32; wing 12 inches or more; tail 7; tarsus 2°3; 
bill from gape 3°75. 
Distribution.—There appears to be some confusion in the 
records concerning the occurrence in Ceylon of this species 
and the next. Legge does not appear to have obtained 
specimens of either, and thought that some large Cormorants 
seen by him on Minneri tank were P. carbo, whereas they were 
probably P. fuscicollis. The present species certainly occurs 
during the north-east monsoon in the north of the Island, 
where it may be met with on lagoons near the coast. It has 
not yet been ascertained if it remains all the year round. It 
is found on the coast, large rivers, and suitable sheets of water 
throughout India and Burma, and breeds in a good many 
localities. Its range extends over almost the whole of the 
Old World, also Australia and the east coast of North America. 
Habits.—The birds often scatter during the day, but roost 
and breed in large companies. The nest is placed on trees 
growing in the water or on rocks. The eggs may be four to . 
seven in number, and measure about 2°50 by 1°60. 
PHALACROCORAX FUSCICOLLIS (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 341 ; 
Legge, p. 1182). 
The Indian Shag. 
Description.—Adults : black glossed with green or purple ; 
the black of the face plumage extends right up to the naked 
facial skin, there being no white border. There is no crest. 
On the side of the head are a few minute white specks. Out 
of the breeding season the throat is more or less speckled with 
white ; in breeding plumage the birds assume a minute tuft 
of two or three white feathers on each side of the neck behind 
the ear. 
