IV PHALACROCORACIDAE 



17 



neck are violet-black, and a bronzy-pnrple tinge extends thence 

 to the wings, the naked areas being brownish-red. It ranges 

 from Kamtschatka to Western Mexico, and even winters in 

 North Japan. P. uriU, of the extreme north of the Pacific, is 

 very similar, but has the gular pouch bluish with red hinder 

 margin, the lores, orbits, and an additional strip of bare skin on 

 the forehead being orange. P. pcrsijicillatus, of Bering Island, 

 now considered extinct, is another close ally, in which the fila- 

 mentous feathers are yellowish and the orbits white. P. 

 graculus, the Green Cormorant or Shag, breeding in Britain 

 chiefly on the western side, and occurring rarely on our inland 

 waters, is found in many places along the coasts of West Europe 

 to Morocco and the Mediterranean ; it is dark green witli black 

 remiges and twelve black rectrices, and metallic hues on the head, 

 neck, and under surface, the irides being green and the bill and feet 

 black, as are the naked regions, which are spotted with }'ellow. 

 In spring a recurved crest overhangs the forehead. P. lucidus, 

 of South, East, and apparently West Africa, differs from the last 

 in having a brown head and nape, and grey tints on the mantle 

 and tail, while the chin and most of the lower parts are white. 

 P. africanus occupies South and East Africa. P. varius, of New 

 Zealand, is greenish-black above with grey middles to the dorsal 

 feathers, white cheeks and under surface ; the bill is horn-coloured, 

 the feet black, the orbits bluish, the gular skin yellow, with an 

 orange spot before each eye. P. carunculatus, of New Zealand, has, 

 according to Sir W. L. Buller,^ no crest and a white band on the 

 back, but otherwise resembles the crested P. onslotvi of the Chatham 

 Islands, and P. imperialis of Chili and Patagonia,^ two fine irides- 

 cent species with the under surface and an alar bar white, the bare 

 papillose skin in front of the eyes orange-red, and the bill and 

 feet brownish. P. featherstoni of the Chatham Islands, which is 

 remarkable for possessing both an occipital and a frontal crest, 

 is greenish-black and brown above with white filoplumes on the 

 nape, and greyish-white below ; the beak being dark brown, tlie 

 feet orange-yellow, and the naked parts bluish. Similar tufts are 

 met with in P. punctahis of New Zealand, wherein the upper 

 plumage is mainly brown with terminal black spots on the 



^ Birds ofXcw Zealand, 2nd ed. ii. London, 1888, pp. 154-160. 

 - The Chatham Island bird is P. onsluici of H. 0. Forbes {Ibis, 1893, p. 537), 

 who discusses various other species. The American forms need further study. 



