Birds of Celebes: Sulidae. gg^ 



Eggs. Elongated ovals, pale bluish wliite, thickly coated with lime: 53— 54 X 36— 37 imn 



(North d 2). 



Distribution. Australia (Gould, Ramsay //, hi, d 1); New Guinea, Kei, Aru, Amboina, 

 Ceram, Batcliian, Halmahera (see Salvadori c 2); Plores (Weber a 5); Celebes — 

 Lake Limbotto (v. Musschenbroek a 4); South Borneo (Croockewit a 3, c 3)-^ 

 Lombok (Everett o . 



An example of an entirely dark-coloured species of Cormorant was obtained 

 by van Musschenbroek at Limbotto and was somewhat doubtfully determined 

 by him as P. sukirostris. 



We were much interested to learn from Mr. Biittikofer that this specimen 

 is in the Leyden Museum and that it is a true P. sukirostris. Von Rosenberg 

 (Zool. Garten 1881, 107 indicated no fewer than six P. sukirostris as having 

 been shot by him and his hunters at Limbotto, but the indication has been 

 much questioned by Prof. W. Blasius (J. f.C). 1883, 127; Ztschr. ges. Orn. 1886, 

 174), who suggested that they were P. melanokucus and with perfect right. Mr. 

 Biittikofer writes that van Musschenbroek's example "is the only specimen 

 of P. sukirostris known to me from Celebes. The specimens recorded by von 

 Rosenberg under this name from Celebes all belong to P. melanokucus; they 

 make part of our collections!" 



When adult this species is easily distinguished from P. melanokucus by its 

 entirely green-black plumage, as well as by its bill, which is weaker, with the 

 culmen much broader and more rounded. We are not acquainted with the 

 young of P. sukirostris, but that of P. javanicus is brown above and pale grey 

 on the under parts, much as that of P. pygmaeus. The adult P. javanicus is 

 distinguished by its white upper throat and small bill and the absence of white 

 spots on the head; P. pygmaeus by its chestnut head and upper neck, and the 

 small white longitudinal spots on the under surface and lower neck. 



FAMILY SULIDAE. 



The bill of the Gannets is longer than the head, large at the base, taper- 

 ing towards the tip, without external nostrils, the tomia serrated for the terminal 

 half; more or less of the upper throat and base of jaw naked; tarsus shorter 

 than the toes, the middle toe with the serrated claw slightly longer than the 

 outer one; wings long, about twice the length of the secondaries; tail moderate; 

 a "system of subcutaneous air-cells, some of large size, pervading almost the 

 whole surface of the body, communicating with the lungs, and capable of being 

 inflated or emptied at the will of the bird" (Newton, D. B. 1893, 303). 



GENUS SULA Briss. 



Description as for the family. 



112* 



