Order PELECANIFORMES.l 



[Family PHALACROCORACIDiE. 



PH ALA CEO COH AX MEL AND LEU CUS . 



(FRILLED SHAG.) 



Phalacrocorax melanoleucus, Vieillot ; Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol. ii., p. 173. 



In the month of October, 1898, I received from my son— who had shot it in the Papaitonga 

 Lake— a small Shag which is undoubtedly referable to the above species. It possesses a 

 conspicuous frontal crest, composed of very narrow feathers of a maximum length of 1 in. 

 There is also an elongation of the feathers of the occiput, standing erect like a short mane, 

 and the white feathers of the face and throat are produced so as to form a sort of irregular 

 frill. The whole of the under-parts, with the exception of the under tail-coverts, which, 

 like the upper surface, are black, are of the purest white, with a glossy surface ; but on one 

 side of the body there is an indistinct patch of black, showing that this was the earlier 

 plumage. The bill is brownish-black on the ridge, the cutting-edges of both mandibles and 

 the unguis being bright yellow ; sides of lower mandible and angles of the mouth yellowish- 

 green, changing to dull yellow on the eyelids; palate and throat pale bluish-green; inside 

 of both mandibles bright yellow.* The feet have a rough surface, having the appearance of 

 dull-black velvet. It proved on dissection to be a female, and it gave the following measure- 

 ments : Approximate length, 24 in. ; wing from flexure, 9'25 in. ; tail, 6'5 in. ; bill, along 

 the ridge, 2 in., along the edge of lower mandible, 2*5 in. ; tarsus, 1*5 in. ; longest toe 

 and claw, 2'5 in. The bird had been frequenting the lake for two or three years, disappearing 

 at intervals, but it was so extremely shy that it was almost impossible to get a shot at it, 

 except by stratagem. 



This form is extremely rare in the North Island. I remember, when crossing the Otaki 

 River on horseback, some five and thirty years ago, seeing one perched on a boulder in the shallow 

 water. At a distance of some 40 yards I could plainly distinguish the frontal crest, which the 

 bird erected the moment it became alarmed by my presence. 



I found this species breeding in Patterson's Inlet, Stewart Island, in the same " Shaggery " as 

 P. varius. I shot two specimens (male and female) and found that they were both slightly 

 crested. They gave the following measurements : — 



Male. — Extreme length, 24'5 in. ; extent of wings, 35*5 in. ; wing from flexure, 9*5 in. ; 

 tail, 6*5 in. 



Female. — Extreme length, 24 in. ; extent of wings, 35 in. ; wing from flexure, 9 in. ; 

 tail, 6'25 in. 



A pair of young birds, in dark plumage, afterwards received from Marklund, gave practically 

 the same measurements as the above, although the female was slightly smaller than the other. 



Adult. — Culmen, black to the tip; sides of upper mandible and outer portion of lower 

 mandible, clear yellow, changing to greenish-yellow towards the base ; bare skin between the 

 crura and at the base of the lower mandible, the lores, and a narrow bare space around the eyes, 

 of the same colour ; naked orbits, brighter yellow ; hides, dark brown ; feet, black. Approximate 

 length, 24 in. ; wing from flexure, 9*25 ; tail, 6*5 ; bill, along the ridge, 1*25, along the edge of 

 lower mandible, 2 ; tarsus, 1%5 ; longest toe and claw, 2*5. 



* Marklund sends me the following note :— " The young has brown eyes. The adult has brown eyes, with 

 a greyish tint on the outer rim. Top of upper mandible, black ; sides of the upper and the whole of the lower mandible, 

 yellow." 



