iv PHALACROCORACIDAE 77 



neck are violet-black, and a bronzy -purple 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. urile, 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. perspicillatus, 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 with 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 yellow. 

 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. afri- 

 canus 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 being 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, 1 no crest and a white band on the 

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

 Islands, and P. imperialis of Chili and Patagonia, 2 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. feather stoni 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, the 

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

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

 plumage is mainly brown with terminal black spots on the 



1 Birds of New Zealand, 2nd ed. ii. London, 1888, pp. 154-160. 



2 The Chatham Island bird is P. onslowi of H. 0. Forbes (Ibis, 1893, p. 537), 

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



