488 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Genus PHALACROCORAX, Brisson. 



The Cormorants, whose range is universal, are well repre- 

 sented in Australia, since five species inhabit and are peculiar 

 to that country. In New Zealand the birds are nearly as nu- 

 merous, and among them are some not found in Australia. 



These birds have been divided into several genera by Bona- 

 parte and others ; the term Fhalacrocorax being retained for 

 the largest and most powerful of them ; Hypoleucus for those 

 distinguished by the dark colouring of their upper and the 

 whiteness of their under surface ; Helieus for the species dis- 

 tinguished by the small size of their bills and the great 

 development of the feathers of the head during the breeding- 

 season, which differ from the true Cormorants in their habits, 

 particularly in affecting inland waters and in constructing 

 their nests on the branches of trees, and of which one species 

 inhabits Australia, and another, it is said. New Zealand ; and 

 lastly Microcarbo for the small black Cormorant of Australia, 

 a form of which it is the only one known there. 



Sp. 652. PHALACROCORAX NOVvE-HOLLANDIJil, 



Stephens. 



Australian Cormorant. 



New Holland Shag, Lat. Gen. Hist., vol. x. p. 431. 



Plialacrocorax novcs-hollandia, Steph. Cont. of Shaw's Gen. Zool., 



vol. xiii. pt. i. p. 93. 



• carbdides, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part v. p. 156. 



Gracalus carbdides, G. R. Gray, Zool. of Voy. of Ereb. and Terr. 



Birds, p. 20. 

 Black Shag, Colonists of Western Australia. 



Phalacrocorax carboides, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii. 

 pi. 66. 



This is the largest species of Cormorant yet discovered in 

 Australia, and even exceeds in size its prototype the Phaldcro- 



