KUNUL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 40. NIO 5. 69 



Phalacrocorax atriceps georgianus n subsp.? 



J Boiler Harbour, Oumberland Bay, the 15th of Ang. 1905. »Iris light brovvn». 

 g juv., Cnmberlaud Bay, the 6th of Febr. 1905. »Iris light grey». 

 $ juv. (larger than the foregoing) the same locality and date. »Iris dark grey». 

 1 pnll. (jnst hatched) taken from the nest, at the foot of Mount Duse, Boiler Harbonr, Cuinberland 

 Bay, the 17th of Jan. 1905. 



1 egg from a nest at the foot of Mount Duse, Boiler Harbour, Cuinberland Bay the 4th of Dec. 1904. 

 3 eggs the same locality, the 14 of Dec. 1904. 



The Cormorant of South Georgia was regarded by Pagenstechee (1) and von 

 den Steinén (12) as Ph. carunculatus. K. A. Andersson (8) believed it to belong 

 Ph. atriceps, bnt his material was unfortunatelylost so a definite classification could 

 not be made. Sörling has in his collection only one fully adult individual in full 

 plumage and this one certainly comes next to Ph. atriceps, and two coloured sketches 

 made by him of a male bird killed in April indicate the same (Pl. II fig. 4 & 5). 



There is, however, some differences which indicate that the bird of South Ge- 

 orgia represents a separate race, which also has been suggested by Ogilvie Grant. ' 

 The most apparent of these differences is that the ear is not situated »in the middle 

 of the white plumage», as in the typical atriceps, nor »in the middle of the black 

 plumage^, as in albiventer but the opening is just on the margin between both areas. 

 This means that the black of the crown descends further on the sides of the head 

 in the South Georgia Cormorant than in the typical atriceps. If this is constant it 

 is an easily observed characteristic. The nasal caruncles appear to be better deve- 

 loped in the former than in the latter (conf. Pl. II fig. 4 & 5). 



The description of the male in full plumage is as follows. Forehead, crown, 

 sides of head to a horizontal line through the lower margin of the eye and through 

 the ear, nape, posterior part of neck and the whole back to the tail-feathers black 

 with a strong blue gloss which especially on the hindneck has a violet lustre. Wings 

 and scapulars, small as well as large, black with on oily green gloss. In some lights 

 there comes a somewhat greenish shade över the back in the mantle-region but, as a 

 rule, in most lights the blue back is sharply defined from the green wings and sca- 

 pulars. The white alar bar its well developed and extends up to the bend of the 

 wing. There is a large white dorsal patch on either side, but it is nearly concealed 

 by the folded wings, only a few white feathers being developed in the middle of the 

 back. The beauty of the bird is increased by a 5—6 cm. long recurved crest, and 

 by all, blue and green, feathers having the margins designed by a narrow band with 

 a stronger metallic lustre. Throat, fore-neck, sides of neck and all under parts pure 

 white. Outsids of legs black. 



Tail-feathers black with basally white shafts. 



Nasal caruncles yellow, skin round the eyes blue, feet light red. Culmen 57; 

 wing 280; tail 135; tarsus 60; outermost toe and claw 105 mm. 



1 Cat. Birds. Brit, Mus. Vol. XXVI p. 392. 



