msmmum^BBBm 



i 



31 



it was adult. But Mr. Ogilvie Grant's suggestion (' Cat. Birds, B.M.', vol. xxvi., p. 331) 

 that it is the young of P. varius is singularly unfortunate ! * If the compiler of the volume 

 had taken the trouble to refer to my description of the nestling of P. varius (vol. ii., p. 149), he 

 would have seen that, from the earliest condition, the legs and feet of that species (which I 

 have taken from the nest) are black ; and this would have saved him from making so feeble a 

 suggestion. That view, therefore, may be at once dismissed. 



But of what species is it the young ? In the light of subsequent information, I have no 

 doubt that it is the beautiful crested Shag, described by Mr. Ogilvie Grant, t under the name of 

 P. stewarti from specimens brought home by Baron A. von Hiigel. I need hardly say how pleased 

 I am to find that I have connected Professor Hutton's name with one of the finest members of 

 this interesting group, because the one originally characterised (young and uncrested) was a 

 somewhat dingy looking bird. 



Through the kindness of Mr. Marklund, I have obtained a fine series of specimens (now in 

 my collection) from Stewart Island, the true home of this species ; and a still larger series which 

 I purchased for the Tring Museum. 



Mr. Youil was the first, in 1896, to draw my attention to this bird. He had seen a party of 

 six or seven perched together on the trees over-hanging the sea at Stewart Island, and was struck 

 by their amazing shyness. They took alarm and craned their long necks at the slightest noise and 

 commenced flight at twice the distance of shooting range. Soon after this, I saw a party of 

 five on a bare rock in Paterson's Inlet, their white alar bars being very conspicuous. These 

 evinced the same shyness, taking wing long before our boat came within range. I gave them 

 a charge of heavy shot as they passed us, but it had no visible effect . 



My first specimens of this Shag were received from Marklund in midwinter in 1896 ; one 

 marked "male," the other u sex unknowm." I take them both to be males. The one determined 

 measures as follows: Length, 29 inches; wing, 2 inches; tail, 6 inches; bill, along the ridge, 

 2'5 ; along edge of lower mandible, 3 ; tarsus, 2'75 ; longest toe and claw, 4'5. 



The white alar bars are regular in shape and decidedly conspicuous. The dorsal patch 

 of white is very pronounced, measuring 3 inches by 2 inches. The whole of the plumuge is soft 

 and glossy, and both birds have splendid coronal crests ; there are also about half-a-dozen 

 beautiful white filaments — from half-inch to an inch in length — above and behind each eye. 

 Bill blackish brown, changing to dark horn-colour at the tip of both mandibles. Legs fleshy- 

 white, shaded with brown along the outer edge of the foot, also towards the claws and along 



* Mr. Ogilvie Grant in the ' Catalogue ' (vol. xxvi., p. 331) classes P. Imttoni among the doubtful species ; and he 

 adds : " The type, which was obtained near Dunedin, in January, 1876, and is preserved in the Otago Museum, appears 

 from the description to be an immature specimen of P. varius. " Perhaps Mr. Ogilvie Grant will indicate some other 

 species of Shag in which the feet change from " orange-yellow " in the young to black in the adult ! 



t The species is thus distinguished in the 'Catalogue' of the British Museum : "Adult in breeding plumage. Much 

 like P. onslowi in plumage, but the neck is somewhat greener ; a well-developed crest, white alar bar, and dorsal patch 

 are present, but there is no trace of nasal ivattles, the lores being thinly feathered ; behind and above the eye a thin 

 patch of white hair-like feathers. Tail composed of twelve feathers. Eyelid light blue ; naked skin on lores and sides 

 of face very dark blue; a row of small red warts between the culmen and the eye; naked skin at base of lower 

 mandible and gular pouch arterial red. Total length about 29 inches ; culmen from feathers on forehead to tip 2-4 ; 

 depth of cutting edge, 0-35 ; wing, 11-6-11-7 ; tail, 5-1-5-3 ; tarsus, 2-8 ; innermost toe and claw, 4*3. Although the bill 

 is nearly as long as that of P. carunculatus, it is not nearly so stout. 



" Adult in non-breeding plumage. — Similar to the above, but without a crest. 



" Immature. — Very similar to the immature of P. onslowi. In a bird apparently changing to the adult plumage 

 the white alar bar is strongly developed. 



Hab. — " Stewart Island and South Island of New Zealand." 



